U.N. Arms Inspectors Report Credible Intel on Iraq's Nuclear Capabilities

U.N. arms inspectors reported to the United States in 1996 and 1997 that they had credible intelligence indicating Iraq was closer than previously believed to developing nuclear weapons. According to the Washington Post, Iraq had built and maintained three or four "implosion devices" that lacked only cores of enriched uranium to make 20-kiloton nuclear weapons. American intelligence assessments concurred on the credibility of the reports but had not fully corroborated them. The existence of such devices would be a milestone for Iraq and raise questions about the policies and public assessments of the Clinton administration and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Key Takeaways:

• U.N. arms inspectors reported credible intelligence to the United States in 1996 and 1997 that Iraq was closer than previously believed to developing nuclear weapons.
• Iraq had built and maintained three or four "implosion devices" that lacked only cores of enriched uranium to make 20-kiloton nuclear weapons.
• American intelligence assessments concurred on the credibility of the reports but had not fully corroborated them.
• The existence of such devices would indicate that Iraq was substantially closer than previously known to joining the world's nuclear powers.
• There is currently no known evidence that the Baghdad government has acquired plutonium or highly enriched uranium, which is necessary for completing the weapons design.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency reported regularly to the U.N. Security Council since 1996 that it had found "no indication of prohibited equipment, materials or activities."
• Iraq's refusal to permit U.N. inspectors to mount new searches for banned materials since Aug. 3 has raised stakes and made it difficult to discover and destroy any hidden devices.

Statistics:

• 20-kiloton nuclear weapons: The yield of the nuclear weapons that Iraq's "implosion devices" are capable of producing.
• 1996 and 1997: The years in which U.N. arms inspectors reported credible intelligence to the United States.
• 3-4: The number of "implosion devices" that Iraq is reported to have built and maintained.
• 0: The number of cores of enriched uranium that Iraq is reported to have.

Sources:

• Washington Post
• U.S. government officials
• U.N. arms inspectors
• Scott Ritter, former Marine and U.N. Special Commission member
• Iraqi defectors
• Central Intelligence Agency's Nonproliferation Center
• International Atomic Energy Agency
• U.N. Security Council