UNMOVIC/IAEA Press Statement on Inspection Activities in Iraq

For full coverage, see the pages on IAEA and Iraq.

8 December 2002 -- An UNMOVIC team carried out an inspection of the Falluja III site of the Al-Tariq Company. This site is located in the Falluja district about 100 km west of Baghdad.

Falluja III is a chemical factory engaged in the production of pesticides, insecticides and rodent poisons. A research and development department is also located at the facility and is concerned with new formulations and synthetic processes for local production of active ingredients.

The site contains a number of tagged dual-use items of equipment, which were all accounted for. Additionally, all key buildings at the site were inspected. The objectives of the visit were successfully achieved.

The IAEA inspection team went to the State Establishment for Geological Survey and the associated Geo-Pilot plant facilities. These facilities had previously been involved in the mapping of ore assays and developmental processing of those ores. The team conducted its inspections without delay.

An additional 25 inspectors arrived in Baghdad today. 21 are from the IAEA and 4 from UNMOVIC. The total number of inspectors currently in Iraq is 15 UNMOVIC inspectors and 27 IAEA inspectors. Another 25 to 30 inspectors, all from UNMOVIC, are expected to arrive in Baghdad on 10 December.

Hiro Ueki
Spokesman for UNMOVIC and the IAEA in Baghdad