Iraq: Anthrax found

2003-03-02 21:57

Baghdad - Ongoing excavations have led to the discovery of important quantities of anthrax and VX nerve agent, Iraqi presidential advisor Amer al-Saadi said on Sunday.

UN inspectors have been seeking clarification for years of the whereabouts of such deadly agents.

Saadi said excavations at the al-Aziziya air base, 104km southwest of Baghdad, had uncovered nearly all bomb fragments filled with tonnes of toxic agents which Iraq insists it destroyed unilaterally in 1991.

"So far we have reached a figure of not quite 157 tons, but we are nearing it, there is work in progress," he told a news conference.

"So far, more than eight bombs have been found which were intact, not perforated, which could be tested for the material inside," he said.

Saadi also said there was "another question with the anthrax, which is the bulk material that was left over, that was unfilled and that was unilaterally destroyed also."

The material "is in a site called al-Hakam, and this is what the meeting this evening is all about" between newly arrived UN biological experts and Iraqi authorities.

"The destruction site is known and it is still undisturbed and we could look for DNA signatures of those materials and perhaps we could quantify this material, not just qualitative tests, but quantitative tests to estimate how much was destroyed there," he said.

"That, in addition to the 157 tons in al-Aziziya, will make the total," he said.

He said the 1.5 tons of VX still to be accounted for "was unilaterally destroyed in a dumping site near al-Muthanna State Establishment, and we have made analyses which strongly indicate that the total material was destroyed there."

That was also being discussed in Sunday evening's talks, he said.

"The results that we have made so far, indicate something which is near, quite near, that total (that) was destroyed there." - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA