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Iraq's germ warfare data

under UN microscope

BAGHDAD: Iraq has finally divulged secrets of its biological warfare programme after years of delays but the United Nations needs more time to analyse the data before considering lifting sanctions, a U.N. envoy said on Sunday.

"We knew Iraq has produced biological weapons, something Iraq denied for four years...Iraq's keeping of the secrets...has delayed everything," said Rolf Ekeus, chairman of the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) charged with disarming Iraq under 1991 Gulf War ceasefire terms.

Last week the United States said Iraq had produced enough agents to kill every being on earth.

Ekeus said a bulky report handed over by Iraq on Friday detailing its biological weapons programme appeared "full, final and complete."

"Our first scrutiny tells us that it contains very important information which will be helpful to sort out the remaining problems under the ceasefire resolutions," Ekeus said.

"It is a big declaration. It is about 530 pages. It will take time to analyse," he said at the end of a three day-visit to Baghdad.

Ekeus said Iraq claimed in the declaration that it had destroyed all biological weapons.

"For us it remains to verify that this is true," he added.

The biological file is the last remaining issue between Iraq and UNSCOM which has said it would not recommend a lifting of a U.N. ban on Iraqi oil exports unless it was satisfied with Iraqi disclosures and verifications of past activities.

The wide-ranging sanctions, which have crippled Iraq, were imposed on Baghdad shortly after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Ekeus said he would report to the U.N. Security Council as soon as possible but did not say whether he would tell the members that Iraq had completed the ceasefire requirements on weapons.

Ekeus met Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz and Oil Minister Lieutenant General Amir Mohammed Rasheed on Saturday. They agreed that a team of specialists and Ekeus would return soon.

State newspapers said Aziz told Ekeus that Iraq had honoured conditions for lifting the embargo on Iraq's oil exports and urged him to convey this to the U.N. Security Council.

"...The Iraqi people can no longer bear this dealing which has continued for several years and inflicted misery and hardship on our people," Aziz was quoted as saying.

Failure by UNSCOM to inform the Security Council by the end of August of Iraq's compliance or refusal by the Council to lift the block on oil sales would be viewed by the Iraqi people and leadership as "hostile and tendentious", Aziz was quoted as telling Ekeus.

But Ekeus told reporters they had not discussed the end-August deadline imposed by Iraq. Baghdad has threatened to stop co-operation with the United Nations.

The United States wants Iraq to honour all Gulf War ceasefire resolutions -- not just those covering disarmament -- before the embargo on oil exports is lifted.

Iraq had to account for missing Kuwaitis, end the "export of terrorism," stop repressing its own people in the north and south of the country and abide by all Security Council resolutions to get sanctions lifted, Madeleine Albright, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said last week.-Reuter