Baghdad, Sept 9, INA Former UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter on Sunday called for an "honest brokering mechanism" that would allow both an immediate resumption of arms inspections and ensure no deviation from Security Council resolutions.
The mechanism proposes the inspectors' "unconditional return and yet provides assurances to Iraq that unfettered access would only be applied to disarmament issues and not be used to infringe upon Iraq's sovereignty, dignity and national security," Ritter told Iraqi parliament in a hearing.
“There is a need for the confidence building mechanism for the monitoring of the interaction between weapons inspectors and Iraq to ensure that there are no deviations from the mandate of disarmament by the inspectors as well as obstruction of the work of the inspectors by Iraq," Ritter said.
“There is a need for the confidence building mechanism for the monitoring of the interaction between weapons inspectors and Iraq to ensure that there are no deviations from the mandate of disarmament by the inspectors as well as obstruction of the work of the inspectors by Iraq," Ritter said.
The mechanism would ensure that "for Iraq, the sins of the past would not be repeated," Ritter said in reference to the cloud of spying allegations that surrounded UNSCOM, the old inspection group, withdrawn from Iraq on December 1998 on the eve of US-British bombing campaign.
“In short, the honest broker mechanism allows the peaceful non-violent resolution for the current stand-off between the UN and Iraq in full accordance with the letter of the international law." He said.
Iraqi News Agency (INA)
Reuters Photo
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“In short, the honest broker mechanism allows the peaceful non-violent resolution for the current stand-off between the UN and Iraq in full accordance with the letter of the international law." He said.
Iraqi News Agency (INA)
Reuters Photo
Please continue...