Iraq refuses to hand over arms documents

DUBAI, Nov 21: Iraq has firmly rejected requests by UN weapons inspectors to hand over documents on its chemical, biological and ballistic w...

DUBAI, Nov 21: Iraq has firmly rejected requests by UN weapons inspectors to hand over documents on its chemical, biological and ballistic weapons systems but president Bill Clinton responded cautiously saying it was important not to overreact to Iraqi objections.

With US and British forces still within striking distance, Baghdad rejected all but two categories of documents requested by Richard Butler, chairman of UNSCOM, saying the information never existed or was no longer available.Iraqi foreign ministry under-secretary Riyadh al-Qaysi said Butler had overstepped his authority and called the requests "provocative rather than professional".

Iraq also accused Butler of acting on behalf of the US in its drive to disarm Iraq. "The US administration these days is trying in vain to boost the fortunes of UNSCOM whose corruption has been revealed to the world community," the official Ath-Thawra newspaper said.

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One document being sought by UN inspectors purportedly showed Iraq used fewer pieces of ordinancecapable of carrying chemical and biological agents during its 1980-88 war with Iran than previously declared, raising questions about how many remain.

Al-Qaysi said Bultler’s requests fell into two categories. "The first category includes alleged documents which do not exist, and the second includes repetition of previous requests in respect of which we had submitted all the available and true clarifications," he said.

It was Iraq’s first reaction to such requests since UN weapons inspectors returned to Baghdad this week after Iraq, under threat of military action by the United States and Britain, said it was resuming cooperation with UN teams.

"I think it’s important that we not overreact here on the first day. I want to make sure I know exactly what the facts are," Clinton said at a joint news conference with South Korean president Kim Dae-Jung in Seoul where the US President is on a state visit as part of his five-day Asia trip."I hope that Iraq would comply as it said it would in the letters (to theUnited Nations) just a few days ago with letter and spirit of the UN resolutions and give them (inspectors) the information they seek," Clinton said.