In his speech to the United Nations General Assembly in September, President George W. Bush detailed how the regime in Iraq flagrantly violated the resolutions passed by the U-N Security Council since the Gulf War. Among other things, the Iraqi regime agreed to destroy and stop developing all weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles, and to comply with rigorous weapons inspections. As Mr. Bush said in his speech, Iraq broke “every aspect of this fundamental pledge.”
The dangers presented by Iraq’s refusal to renounce its weapons of mass destruction are clear. As Mr. Bush said to the U-N, were the Iraqi regime to supply these weapons to terrorist allies, then “the attacks of September 11th [2001] would be a prelude to far greater horrors.” Mr. Bush challenged the United Nations to ensure that its resolutions are “more than wishes.”
On November 7th, the U-N Security Council responded to President Bush’s challenge. It unanimously adopted a resolution requiring the regime in Iraq to reveal its weapons of mass destruction and destroy them. Within the next month, the Iraqi regime must give the U-N a complete, current, and accurate declaration of its programs to develop chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and other delivery systems. This declaration must include the precise locations of such weapons. Iraq must also disclose its non-weapons chemical, biological, and nuclear facilities.
Within forty-five days, Baghdad must give U-N weapons inspectors “immediate, unimpeded, unconditional, and unrestricted access.” That includes presidential palaces and other facilities belonging to Saddam Hussein and other members of his inner circle. The inspectors must also be given unimpeded access to equipment, records, and officials and other persons whom they wish to interview.
President Bush called the U-N Security Council resolution a “final test” for the Iraqi regime. The inspections called for are a means to an end -- the removal from Iraq of all weapons of mass destruction. As Mr. Bush said, the experience of the last decade has shown that inspections will not result in a disarmed Iraq, unless the Iraqi regime cooperates. Baghdad will not be allowed to stall and impede weapons inspections, as it has in the past.
U-N Security Council Resolution 1-4-4-1 gives Iraq a final opportunity to comply and peacefully disarm. If the Iraqi regime fails to comply with the U-N resolution, the United States and other nations will disarm Saddam Hussein.
