Iraq evidence fabricated


March 10, 2003, midnight | By Nora Toiv | 21 years ago


Some documents allegedly linking Iraq to nuclear weapons intentions have been deemed fake by Hans Blix, the United Nation's chief weapons inspector, according to The Washington Post.

Independent expert Mohamed ElBaradei, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told the U.N. Security Council that the documents showing Iraqi officials shopping for uranium in Africa are most likely fabricated. "There is no indication of resumed nuclear activities," he said.

IAEA said that they are not blaming either the U.S or Britain, whose experts had already looked at the documents. "The documents were shared with us in good faith," said a spokesman for IAEA. The documents are just another delay for Britain and the U.S who are having trouble convincing the Security Council to approve this war.

Saddam Hussein had pursued a nuclear program in the 1970s and 1980s but Iraq's nuclear infrastructure was damaged by allied bombing in 1991. After the war stocks of fuel and equipment were destroyed during U.N. inspections. After U.N. inspectors were forced to leave in 1998, Hussein had not given up his blueprints and kept a team of nuclear scientists.

The U.S. and Britain claim that Hussein is pursuing the bomb, but ElBaradei rejects these claims. As for the forged documents, the U.S official who reviewed them said "we fell for it."

The documents had mistakes involving the dates and the individuals who held office at the time of the letters. ElBaradei also said that he has found no evidence of banned weapons or nuclear material after sweeping Iraq with radiation detectors.



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