The Security Council voted last week to give Iraq until Dec. 8 to submit a "full, accurate and complete" declaration of any programs it had to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons and the missiles to deliver them.
The overall impression, which I reported to the Council on Dec. 19 and which remains after some weeks of examination of the Declaration (Iraq's declaration of weapon programs on Dec. 7), is that it is rich in volume but poor in new information about weapons issues and practically devoid of new evidence on such issues.
The White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer, issued a terse statement noting that Mr. Hussein had met the deadline with "what it claims is a declaration of its programs to develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and other delivery systems".
After the declaration of the program, diabetes polyclinics and centres were established in 15 provinces.
When Iraq makes its formal declaration of its secret programs, "we have to look at the declaration," Mr. ElBaradei said.
Within 30 days of the resolution, Iraq must present a comprehensive declaration of all its programs to develop chemical, biological or nuclear weapons or long-range missiles.
The chief United Nations weapons inspector, Hans Blix, endorsed the key American demand that Iraq make a full declaration of its weapons programs before any inspections resume.
The resolution, as it is presently drafted, requires Saddam Hussein to make a full declaration of his secret programs within 30 days.
Iraq confirmed today that it would turn over a voluminous declaration of its arms programs to the weapons inspectors late Saturday in Baghdad.
The chief United Nations weapons inspector, Hans Blix, today endorsed the main demand of the United States that Iraq make a full declaration of its weapons programs before inspections resume.
