Iraq Says Scientists Shun Private Interviews Despite Encouragement

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 24, 2003

Iraq Says Scientists Shun Private Interviews Despite Encouragement

Iraqi scientists have refused to be questioned in private by UN arms inspectors although Baghdad has encouraged them to accept such interviews, a senior Iraqi official said on Thursday.

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Iraqi scientists have refused to be questioned in private by UN arms inspectors although Baghdad has encouraged them to accept such interviews, a senior Iraqi official said on Thursday.

"We did our best to push the scientists but they refused such interviews without the presence of National Monitoring Directorate (NMD) representatives," said NMD chief Gen. Hossam Mohammed Amin.

Amin, the chief Iraqi liaison officer with the UN inspectors, told a press conference in Baghdad that so far six Iraqi scientistshad said no to interviews with the UN experts in private.

On Monday, Iraq signed a 10-point cooperation statement with visiting UN chief inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, in which Baghdad pledged to encourage scientists to accept private interviews.

"Persons asked for interviews in private will be encouraged to accept," Iraq promised in the joint statement.

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