Iraq Agrees to Destroy 'Al-Samoud 2' Missiles

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 28, 2003

Iraq Agrees to Destroy 'Al-Samoud 2' Missiles

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Iraq has informed the United Nations that it accepted in principle the UN demand for destroying the banned "al-Samoud-2" missiles and all components, Qatari Satellite Channel al-Jazeera reported late Thursday.

Iraq sent a letter to chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix on Thursday to inform the decision, Blix's office was quoted as saying.

The letter, signed by General Amir al-Saadi, chief scientific adviser to President Saddam Hussein, said that "in principle Iraq accepts the request for the destruction of the missiles and other items listed."

Last Friday, Blix wrote to al-Saadi stating that the al-Samoud missiles violated the allowed 150-kilometer range imposed by the UNResolution 687 and ordering the Iraqi government to make arrangements to begin their demolition on March 1.

On Monday, President Saddam Hussein insisted he had no plan to destroy Al-Samoud 2 missiles, denying that the weapons violate UN restrictions.

Blix also said earlier Thursday there was still no evidence thatIraq decided to comply with its obligations to disarm.

The latest Iraqi decision indicated that Iraq has softened its stance under the heightened international pressure as the United States and Britain gears up its preparation for a military strike on Iraq.

US dismisses Iraqi offer to destroy missiles

US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on Thursday dismissed Baghdad's offer to destroy its controversial missiles, saying that the effort does not constitute a proof of cooperation.

"I don't see a change in the pattern at all.... This is exactly what's been going for years," Rumsfeld told a press conference.

The US defense secretary was responding to reports that Iraq had sent a letter to chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix and agreed in principle to the UN demands that it start destroying its Al-Samoud 2 missiles by Saturday.

"They refuse to cooperate, don't cooperate, drag it out, wait until someone finally nails them with one little piece of the whole puzzle and refuse to do anything about it and then finally when they see the pressure building, they say well, maybe we'll do some of that," Rumsfeld said.

But a senior State Department official on Thursday refused to comment on the development, saying that he would first want to see the Iraqi letter and read it in full.

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Saddam Indicates Iraq Will not Destroy Al-Samoud 2 Missiles: CBS

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