UN Inspector Faces Pressure in Iraq

Richard Butler, the UN chairman of the commission responsible for eliminating Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, is set to return to Baghdad for his third round of discussions with Iraqi leaders. Butler is expected to face a barrage of criticism and propaganda from Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, who claims that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction and is committed to not developing any in the future. However, Butler is aware of Iraq's past record of dishonesty and evasion, and will likely argue in his report that Iraq still has not provided sufficient evidence of its compliance with UN inspectors. The outcome of Butler's report will have significant implications for the lifting of international sanctions on Iraq.

Key Takeaways:

The UN commission, led by Richard Butler, has been tasked with identifying and eliminating Iraq's weapons of mass destruction for eight years.
Tariq Aziz, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister, has accused Butler of continued obstruction and claimed that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq's compliance with UN inspectors is a critical issue, with Iraq claiming to have no intention of developing new arsenal and Butler arguing that Iraq's past record demands an exceptionally high hurdle of credibility.
The outcome of Butler's report, due in October 1998, will have significant implications for the lifting of international sanctions on Iraq.
Iraq is seeking to exploit differences between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and is expanding its diplomatic efforts to counter negative perceptions.
The US Administration may prefer ambiguity over clarity in Butler's report, given the high-profile struggle with Saddam Hussein.

Statistics:

Eight years have passed since Iraq's initial invasion of Kuwait, and Richard Butler has been leading the UN commission to eliminate Iraq's weapons of mass destruction for this entire period.
Iraq's compliance with UN inspectors will be assessed in Butler's report, due in October 1998.
Iraq's split with the Gulf War allies has created a complex geopolitical situation, with every diplomatic tool at Iraq's disposal being used to counter negative perceptions.
Iraq's past record of dishonesty and evasion demands an exceptionally high hurdle of credibility before it can be awarded a clean bill of health.
1998 has seen a significant intensification of diplomatic efforts by Iraq, including the deployment of every tool at its disposal to exploit differences between the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

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