Enclosed below please find information regarding the accusation that Iraq actually did not comply with UNSCOM.

NOTE: Although this is an important point, the main point to be emphasized in interviews with the press is that the Iraqi people are suffering! However, when being confronted with questions about UNSCOM, it is critical to realize that 427 inspections were conducted and, out of this total, five were mentioned as being non-cooperative.

Excerpts from the Statement of Mohammed Said Al-Sahaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iraq, to the Press on Dec. 17, 1998

(excerpt from Foreign Minister's speech)

The secretary-general, Mr. Kofi Annan, had received two reports, the first one on the 14th of December, presented to him by the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IAEA in its report had stated clearly that the Iraqi counterpart has provided the necessary level of cooperation to enable the above-enumerated activities to be completed effectively and -- efficiently and effectively. ... The report of the IAEA had stated clearly that Iraq had provided the necessary level of cooperation to enable the above-enumerated activities to be completed efficiently and actively.

[...]

Since the resumption of cooperation between Iraq and UNSCOM on the 17th of November, UNSCOM had sent to Iraq eight inspection teams.

They had operated 427 inspections. I repeat, 427 inspections to 427 sites. Two hundred ninety-nine of those sites are included in the ongoing monitoring regime -- 128 sites even not included in the ongoing monitoring regime, but still they asked to inspect them and we accepted.

They said -- the Americans and the British said Iraq did not cooperate. Well, out of the total inspections, which is 427, they mentioned that there were cases of non-cooperation in five cases.

Well, again, I want to tell you briefly and through you to the whole world, what were those five cases upon which the American administration and the British government had committed a dangerous crime against the people of Iraq because of those five cases?

One, they wanted to inspect a small headquarter of the political party, the Arabic (ph) Socialist Party. We asked them: What is the relation between small headquarter of a political party and a disarmament mission? They didn't answer.

The second case, they came to inspect a small building which previously was the office of the deputy of the director general of the special security organization.

Then later on this post had been canceled. No more. There is no deputy. So the office had been changed to be a guest house.

The Iraqi counterpart was explaining to the chief inspector, which is the Australian, Roger Hill, that this is no longer an office, this is now a guest house. So while explaining to the chief inspector, they -- it took it about 20 minutes, about -- around 30 minutes. They put it in the report this is one of the violations. You have delayed us about 45 minutes. So you deserve to be bombarded, because you have delayed an inspection team for 45 minutes, only to explain to them that this guest house, no longer an office. After that they have inspected it. This is the second one.

Then there is two cases where they demanded that they want to inspect establishments on Fridays. We told them that, according to the agreement with UNSCOM, not all Iraqi establishments function or work on Friday on the weekend, only small number of them. If that establishment is working on Friday, you are welcome. If it is not, well, we will go with you, but there are no people there. This is the agreement. They came on Friday and they insisted. We told them that we will go along, according to the agreement.

So, there are two cases of violation, they considered those two cases a violation, which we are not working on Fridays. Because we are not working on Fridays, this is a violation of the Security Council resolutions. This is noncooperation attitude, so we are deserved, we are deserving the bombardment. The fourth case which is the fifth case, a chief inspector which is an American woman, Diana Simon, she went to Baghdad University and she demanded that she wants to interview the undergraduate students -- please pay attention to this -- she wants to interview all undergraduate students in the science college in Baghdad University.

The Iraqi counterpart told her that this is incredible. What's the purpose of interviewing undergraduate? What was the relation between Iraqi undergraduate students and disarmament? Usually, UNSCOM asks to interview some of the post graduates for the master degree, for the doctorate degree.

Because we told this American lady that it is very difficult to comprehend, to understand that UNSCOM needs to interview undergraduate Iraqi students for the mission of disarmament of Iraq.

Ladies and gentlemen, those are the five cases on which the American administration, the British government had depended upon to say that we had a material breach of the Security Council resolutions and this an evidence that Iraq is not cooperating, so the Operation Villains in the Arabian Desert should be launched against you.

AND:

From Larry King Live (CNN), December 17, 1998

BLITZER: Mr. Ambassador, what happened over this past month -- remember that letter that you submitted to the United Nations, to Kofi Annan, from Tariq Aziz promising complete, unfettered access? Richard Butler sent the inspectors back in. All of the sudden he said that there wasn't compliance, and now we're in the midst of covering this air strike. What exactly was the issue? Where did you refuse to allow those inspectors to visit?

HAMDOON: It was one incident, probably one or two. One with a foreign organization that is in Baghdad. And we told them if you could agree with them, it's all right with us. The second one was at party headquarters, which nobody knows. I mean, nobody keeps any secrets or secret documentation over there. We asked them for a written request just to put it in writing that they want to visit that place. They refused. And in a few minutes, they decided to leave that spot, and that's it. That was one out of 400 visits, Larry, during the three weeks, you see.

KING: Are you telling-you're saying that on that small issue-put it in writing; no, we won't-we're bombing-the United States-forgive me for saying the we...

HAMDOON: Exactly, that was...

KING: ... the United States is bombing Iraq?

HAMDOON: Exactly, that was it. In addition to one paper they wanted to get, which we told them, come sit with us, discuss it, take what's relevant with the presence of the Security Council, secretary- general representative. They did not respond to that.

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