(Washington Post) - Under existing UN Security Council resolutions, returning weapons inspectors would take at least five months to fully commence operations in Iraq and report on Baghdad's initial cooperation, and up to a year to preliminarily assess whether Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction or the capability to produce them. That could lead to both Iraqi deception and a loss of international and congressional momentum for stepped-up pressure against Baghdad. In continuing to press for a new UN inspections resolution, the Bush administration wants an accelerated timetable and much tougher and more definitive standards for judging Iraqi cooperation, in addition to UN-authorized consequences for noncompliance.
2002-09-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive