Dear RN list, Jan. 7 In amongst the many items coming in on the Iraq conflict at the time of the most recent bombing came this question from Brian Hill: From: "Brian Hill" <•••@••.•••> Subject: Re: The set-up of Iraq Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1998 14:51:59 -0800 were the unscum inspectors identifying targets all along? ********* Well, there is evidence now that Brian's hunch was right. This posting will provide documentation of that evidence. In future postings I want to look again at what might usefully be done with regard to Iraq and the Mid East in general, given current realities. all the best, Jan **************************************************************************** From: "Dr. Rafeh Hulays" <•••@••.•••> Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1999 05:25:31 -0800 Wednesday, January 6, 1998: The News Channel Annan "Alarmed" by UNSCOM, US Relationship WASHINGTON (Agencies) -- UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has obtained convincing evidence that UN weapons inspectors helped the United States collect intelligence used for US efforts to undermine the Iraqi regime, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday. The report, citing unidentified "confidants" to Annan, said the UN chief was "alarmed by the implications of the relationship" which, if substantiated, could undermine the neutrality of the world body. The information Annan has received, the Post said in its early editions, shows that the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) assisted the United States in listening to some of Baghdad's most sensitive communications. "The Secretary General has become aware of the fact that UNSCOM directly facilitated the creation of an intelligence collection system for the United States in violation of its mandate," the Post quoted one Annan confidant as saying. "The United Nations cannot be party to an operation to overthrow one of its member states. In the most fundamental way, that is what's wrong with the UNSCOM operation," the source added. UNSCOM personnel withdrew from Iraq before the United States and Britain launched aerial attacks on Iraq on December 17-20. Since then, the United Nations has been debating the future of Iraqi disarmament. Some Annan advisers acknowledged that by making his suspicions public, the UN chief may be pressing UNSCOM chairman Richard Butler to resign in favor of a successor more to Iraq's liking. Annan could also be preempting any future charges that he condoned eavesdropping under his authority, the sources said. The confidants said Annan has accumulated a considerable body of circumstantial evidence on UNSCOM's alleged eavesdropping activities. A few days after last month's aerial strikes against Iraq, the sources said, Annan called Butler to his New York residence to ask if the reports were true. The Australian diplomat denied them, according to two accounts. In a telephone interview with the daily, Butler late Tuesday said a number of UN member states, including the United States, had assisted UNSCOM in its work, but that he had always insisted that their assistance be strictly related to the commission's disarmament mandate. "I have never approved of any assistance to any member state which would serve their unilateral purposes," Butler added. ------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE: The Washington Post report is about suspicions that UNSCOM spied for US is in: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/longterm/iraq/iraq2.htm Best Regards, Rafeh
