Chief U-N weapons inspector Hans Blix says Iraq has not genuinely accepted the U-N demands of disarmament.
Leaders of the U-N inspection team in Iraq delivered a much anticipated report today (Monday) to the Security Council on their search for banned weapons of mass destruction over the past 60 days.
Mr. Blix said Iraq has been providing access to its facilities, but -- in his words -- "open doors are not enough." He said key issues remain unresolved, such as the whereabouts of thousands of chemical bombs and stocks of anthrax and other biological weapons.
The chief inspector did not specifically ask for more time, but made it clear that the inspections are just now getting up to speed.
U-N nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said inspectors have found no evidence that Iraq has revived its nuclear program since inspectors left the country four years ago. He said inspectors need more time to determine the truth, and that a few more months would be, in his words, "a valuable investment in peace."
The U-S ambassador to the United Nations (John Negroponte) said nothing in today's (Monday's) report by U-N weapons inspectors gives the United States hope that Iraq will comply with U-N disarmament resolutions. He said Iraq has an entire state apparatus to block the work of the inspectors.
U-S Secretary of State Colin Powell is expected to respond to the report later on Monday.
White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the U-N inspectors' report showed that Baghdad has failed to comply with disarmament demands and that is has weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Fleischer would not say how long the inspections might continue, but said the process is running out of time.
U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan said today (Monday) he expects the Security Council to give the weapons inspectors, in his words "a reasonable amount of time" to complete their work.
For the past two months, Mr. Blix's and Mr. ElBaradei's teams have carried out more than 300 searches for biological, chemical and nuclear weapons since a U-N resolution in November -- number 14-41 -- resumed the inspection process after four years. The resolution threatens Iraq with "serious consequences" if it fails to disarm.