The Inspections So Far: The Blix Scorecard

By Mitch Frank Sunday, Feb. 02, 2003
    • When U.N. inspectors returned to Baghdad two months ago, they were hoping to finish the job of dismantling Saddam's weapons. They have searched for any trace of biological, chemical or nuclear munitions. They have found 12 empty warheads, among other suspect items. While Iraq has opened the doors to Saddam's palaces, chief inspector Hans Blix says they are still playing hide-and-seek.

    Nuclear
    --WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR: Inspectors are searching for any equipment that could be used to produce fissile material. U.S. and British intelligence pointed them toward eight suspected facilities and disclosed an attempt by Iraq to buy thousands of aluminum tubes that could be used for uranium-enriching gas centrifuges.

    --WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND: Nothing so far, no evidence of a restarted nuclear program. The eight facilities had no signs of nuclear activity, and the U.N. says the tubes would most likely be for conventional artillery rockets.

    Chemical
    --WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR: Inspectors hope to find and destroy what remains of Saddam's chemical arsenal: 3.9 tons of VX nerve agent, some 550 mustard-gas shells and about 150 sarin-gas rockets. Also on their list: more than 3,000 tons of precursor chemical ingredients and any processing equipment Iraq could use to rebuild its arsenal.

    --WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND: Inspectors discovered 12 empty chemical warheads. Iraq handed over four more. Inspectors also found a minute quantity of thiodiglycol, which can be used to make mustard gas.

    Biological
    --WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR: The U.N. still has no idea of the extent of Saddam's bioweapons program. Iraq has never given a satisfactory accounting of the efforts of its scientists, but evidence suggests they produced at least 8,500 liters of anthrax, hundreds of thousands of liters of botulinum and a smaller amount of ricin.

    --WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND: Inspectors have visited Iraqi distilleries, an animal-vaccine factory and several other sites but have not found any evidence of violations. U.S. intelligence suggests Saddam is using mobile labs.

    Missiles
    --WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR: U.N. resolutions forbid Iraq to develop missiles capable of traveling more than 93 miles. Inspectors are looking for any sign that Iraq is constructing medium-or long-range missiles or hiding a dozen or so Scuds.

    --WHAT THEY HAVE FOUND: Iraq has rebuilt its missile-production and -test facilities and has imported propellant, guidance and control systems. Inspectors are trying to determine if these are for illegal missiles. Also, Iraq has developed and deployed two new missile designs that appear to be medium range.