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Inside UNSCOM: Iraq's Response

Transcript of interview with Iraq Oil Minister General Amer Rashid

In preparation for IMPACT's March 4,1998 special report: "Inside UNSCOM: The Inspectors' Story," CNN interviewed General Amer Rashid, currently Iraq's Oil Minister. General Rashid is a former head of the Military Industrial Corporation, the organization controlling Iraq's weapons procurement programs. Here are portions of that February 27 interview.

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CNN: As the U.N. weapons inspectors look back to resolution 687, some apparently feel that Iraq is still not fully disclosing information on its weapons programs that it promised to give back in 1991. What is your response to that?

GENERAL AMER RASHID: If we read correctly and legally resolution 687, we see there are two main paragraphs to that. One is Iraq first should dismantle its weapons of mass destruction. Second, there should be a long monitoring system to make sure Iraq does not reaccumulate (sic) its mass destruction weapons program. These issue have been settled now for many years. Since end of 91 till today, with about 2400 visits by inspection teams, of about 4000 visits by monitoring teams, there has not been a discovery of any prohibited weapons or components of weapon of what is called mass destruction weapons. Long term monitoring system has been effective since 94. So Iraq has truly and in every sense has fulfilled its obligation under 687.

CNN: some inspectors say that from the start there was an effort to conceal weapons and weapons-related information for as long as possible. what is your response to that?

GENERAL RASHID: I think always some elements in UNSCOM try to confuse the relationship between the Iraqi government and UNSCOM - especially during the period of 91. You know very well in 1991 we just came out of a very aggressive war against Iran. There was a destruction of our infrastructure, there was no telephone communication, there were even no oil projects there. There were many problems in management and administration, and it was also the beginning of our relationship with the security council with such a very intensive resolution 687. So I don't like and we do not like really to consider 91 as a year for judging our cooperation or for judging relationship. there were many mistakes on UNSCOM's part and on our part as well, and I don't want to particularize what are these mistakes, so let us talk from 91. Since the end of 91, till today there is no, I categorically say, there was no single weapon or a component of weapon which was concealed at all. We have declared we have unilaterally destroyed in Summer 91, in March 92, we sent a letter where we declared everything. So from 91 there is absolutely no concealment whatsoever.

CNN: The Special high committee on security council resolution 687, formed in 91, can you tell us anything about that?

GENERAL RASHID: As you know when there is such an important resolution like 687, and we have just come out of the war, definitely the government will ask a senior member of the government to take responsibility on day-to-day running of that activity within that resolution. There was a responsibility, given to Mr. Tariq Aziz, and you know very well he is enduring this fire, there is nothing in this which should raise any suspicion.

CNN: What was the purpose of the Al-Athir center, apparently a nuclear center?

GENERAL RASHID: We have given all the information relating to all establishments and factories which are involved directly or indirectly or as a support of the past programs in the FFCDs (full, final and complete declarations) which were presented, whether to the nuclear agency or to UNSCOM.

CNN: We have a document dated April 4, 1991, in which the head of Iraq's nuclear program gives instructions that Al-Athir had to be cleansed of all nuclear residues before any UN inspectors arrived. Why would he do that... ?

GENERAL RASHID: It has been always the procedure of UNSCOM to try to get public opinion engaged with a little story, it's used it for some time to confuse what Iraq is doing.

CNN: Some UN inspectors state that the Special Security Organization is actively involved to this day in concealing weapons related material that should be turned over to them. What do you say to them?

GENERAL RASHID: The policy of the main element within UNSCOM is always to have an issue under consideration. So always the technique is to make it an endless, this tunnel without a light at the end, the goal post is always moving. Right now we have the issue of the presidential sites. We will resolve it.

CNN: Let's move on to relations between Iraq and Russia since the Gulf War, relations that would in some way assist any weapons programs.

GENERAL RASHID: There is absolutely no contact with Russia on military or what you call prohibited material. The whole idea of this accusation which was in one of the papers was, they want to put Russia under pressure, they know Russia is becoming objective like many other countries, constructive in its approach, saying enough is enough, you cannot keep Iraq under sanctions. There is absolutely not in military or prohibited material, anything between Iraq and Russia, and you will see this I'm sure.

GENERAL RASHID: In 1995 missile gyroscopes and guidance systems shipped from Russia to Iraq were intercepted in Jordan. What was all that about, and was Iraq trying to rebuild its prohibited missiles program?

We have explained what was behind that story in detail to so many inspection teams, and UNSCOM is fully aware. At that time I was responsible for the Military Industrialization Corporation, we have neither the intention nor any activity of resuming long-range missiles.

CNN: Let's go on to the chemical engineering design center in Baghdad, trying to buy a 50,000 liter fermenter from Russia in 1995.

GENERAL RASHID: This is for animal feed, and I think we have explained it in our declaration.

CNN: UN Inspectors who found the paperwork said they figured that Iraq was trying to replace the fermenter they blew up at Al-Hakam, which had been used to create anthrax. What do you say about that?

GENERAL RASHID: We are allowed to make fermenters. There are fermenters in universities, there are fermenters in hospitals, a fermenter is used even in secondary schools, but you see, because fermenters are used also in biological weapons, they want to confuse the issues.

CNN: Mr. Minister, why did it take Iraq until 1996 to tell UN inspectors it had made more than 3 tons of V-X agents? Prior to that Iraq had denied anything beyond lab amounts.

GENERAL RASHID: On the V-X I think there is a lot of exaggeration in this respect. The V-X program was declared to UNSCOM since 1992. The quantities, the level of R and D and the problems we have with the R and D, and the production was also clear, however some further explanation which was required by UNSCOM was given in 1996.

CNN: The inspectors say this is just another case of Iraq concealing the true extent and nature of its weapons arsenal.

GENERAL RASHID :Is UNSCOM convinced that we have destroyed V-X? Some parts they are convinced, some they are not convinced. Fair enough. We will verify to them those aspects which they are not convinced.

CNN: General Hussein Kamel, son in law of President Saddam Hussein, defected to Jordan in 1995, then thousands of weapons-related documents turned up at his chicken farm. Can you give us some detail of what that was all about?

GENERAL RASHID: After the defection of Hussein Kamel we discovered that he has hidden some documentation on some components of material, and he has given strict instruction to some senior experts to conceal not weapons, not equipment, not material, but to conceal the story of the past program, in terms of armament of the biology in particular.

CNN: Mr. Minister, is Iraq now in compliance with Security Council Resolution 687?

GENERAL RASHID: Iraq has been in compliance with 687 since end of 1991.