Information on biological weapons programme reported hidden.

• Position: Iraq

Iraq had hidden information about a biological weapons programme that had been conceptualized, researched and put into effect before the 1990 Persian Gulf war, according to Rolf Ekeus, Executive Chairman of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) set up under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) in connection with the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. Munitions, bombs and long-range missile warheads filled with biological warfare agents had been deployed and prepared for use, he reported on 13 October.

Since the Commission's report in June, Baghdad had released "new and significant information", he stated, revealing that in addition to imports from the former Soviet Union, Iraq had indigenously produced Scud-type missile engines and carried out research and development on a variety of projects on missiles of prohibited ranges (i.e. more than 150 kilometres).

Furthermore, Mr. Ekeus said, Iraq's efforts to conceal its biological weapons programme, its chemical missile warhead flight tests and work on missile development for the delivery of a nuclear device had led it to provide incorrect information on certain of its proscribed missile activities.

The new revelations had cast into doubt the veracity of Iraq's previous declarations in the missile area. Inaccurate information on how many missiles existed had handicapped the Commission's ability to verify whether or not all had been destroyed, and that was of particular significance if the weapons had chemical or biological warheads, Mr. Ekeus said.

In 1991, Iraq had declared it had destroyed all proscribed weapons and "components". The Commission had been unable to verify this because the orders for destruction had, according to Iraq, been given orally and there was no written documentation. The Commission could not accept that explanation at face value. This aspect needed further verification, including supporting evidence such as authentic documentation from Iraq.

Misleading actions

As an example of how Iraq had been misleading the Commission, Mr. Ekeus said that, as recently as a few weeks ago, Iraqi officials had taken Commission members to a site where they had announced that a considerable amount of biological and chemical warheads had been dumped and burned. They had then modified the account of the number of warheads involved and the location of the alleged destruction site. The condition of the rubble made it impossible to verify what was there.

He knew that Iraq had the...