Inspectors Find 11 Empty Chemical Warheads in Iraq
Warheads Discovered South of Baghdad Said to Be in 'Excellent Condition'
BAGHDAD, Iraq –– U.N. inspectors on Thursday found 11 empty chemical warheads in "excellent" condition at an ammunition storage area where they were inspecting bunkers built in the late 1990s, a U.N. spokesman reported.
A 12th warhead, also of a 122 mm, was found that requires further evaluation, according to the statement by Hiro Ueki, the spokesman for U.N. weapons inspectors in Baghdad.
It was not immediately clear if discovery of the warheads constituted a "material breach" of the U.N. resolution requiring Iraq to itemize all of its weapons of mass destruction.
At the United Nations, the U.S. ambassador said he could not offer an assessment without further information.
"I simply cannot answer into that kind of hypothetical proposition without having more facts at my fingertips," John Negroponte said.
The team used portable X-ray equipment for a preliminary analysis of one of the warheads and collected samples for chemical testing, Ueki's statement said.
"The warheads were in excellent condition and were similar to ones imported by Iraq during the late 1980's," the statement said.
The warheads were found during a visit by inspectors to the Ukhaider Ammunition Storage Area, 75 miles south of Baghdad.
U.N. inspectors are searching for evidence Iraq still has chemical, nuclear or biological weapons programs. They are expected to report preliminary findings to the U.N. Security Council in New York by Jan. 27.
On Dec. 7, a chemical team secured
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