Written Answers. - Foreign Conflicts.
Seán Crowe
Question:
258
Mr. Crowe
asked the
Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
if she stands by claims made in the speech she made to Dáil Éireann on 20 March 2003 regarding the possession of weapons of mass destruction by the former Iraqi Government; the source of this information; and if she still accepts this information to be accurate.
[20339/03]
On 20 March 2003 I said in Dáil Éireann that Saddam Hussein had, among many other reprehensible acts, "maintained weapons of mass destruction". I made that statement on the basis of United National Security Council resolution 1441 of 8 November 2002 which had deplored:
the fact that Iraq has not provided an accurate, full, final, and complete disclosure, as required by resolution 687 (1991), of all aspects of its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction.
Resolution 1441 also recorded that the UN Security Council decided that:
in order to begin to comply with its disarmament obligations, in addition to submitting the required biannual declarations, the Government of Iraq shall provide to UNMOVIC, the IAEA, and the Council, not later than 30 days from the date of this resolution, a currently accurate, full, and complete declaration of all aspects of its programmes to develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and other delivery systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles and dispersal systems designed for use on aircraft, including any holdings and precise locations of such weapons, components, sub-components, stocks of agents, and related material and equipment, the locations and work of its research, development and production facilities, as well as all other chemical, biological, and nuclear programmes, including any which it claims are for purposes not related to weapon production or material.
I do not believe the UN Security Council has revised the analysis that informed Resolution 1441 and so the basis of my statement remains valid.
