"United Nations arms inspectors in Iraq had secret intelligence-sharing
deals not only with the United States but with four other countries, a
former inspector said yesterday. Britain is likely to have been one of the
four.
"Scott Ritter, a former American member of the Unscom weapons inspection
team, said the UN body agreed to provide the five countries with information
it collected in return for intelligence from their sources. His claims will
fuel the controversy surrounding Unscom's activities, with US officials
admitting it was infiltrated by American spies." (Richard Norton-Taylor,
'Arms inspectors "shared Iraq data with five states"', The
Guardian, January 8, 1999)
Again, this was a US and UN claim backed up by US officials "admitting it
[Unscom] was infiltrated by American spies."
Even more disturbing is the performance of individual reporters. In January
1999, The Guardian's Ian Black co-authored a piece, stating:
"International disarray over Iraq deepened last night after United States
officials acknowledged that American spies participated in the work of
United Nations weapons inspectors tracking down Baghdad's weapons of mass
destruction... [T]he admission that US intelligence agencies provided
information and technology to the UN Special Commission, Unscom, confirmed
long-standing suspicions in Baghdad and appeared to knock another nail into
Unscom's coffin." (Mark Tran and Ian Black, 'UN spies scandal grows,
American officials admit Iraqi data aided air strikes', The Guardian,
January 8, 1999)
deals not only with the United States but with four other countries, a
former inspector said yesterday. Britain is likely to have been one of the
four.
"Scott Ritter, a former American member of the Unscom weapons inspection
team, said the UN body agreed to provide the five countries with information
it collected in return for intelligence from their sources. His claims will
fuel the controversy surrounding Unscom's activities, with US officials
admitting it was infiltrated by American spies." (Richard Norton-Taylor,
'Arms inspectors "shared Iraq data with five states"', The
Guardian, January 8, 1999)
Again, this was a US and UN claim backed up by US officials "admitting it
[Unscom] was infiltrated by American spies."
Even more disturbing is the performance of individual reporters. In January
1999, The Guardian's Ian Black co-authored a piece, stating:
"International disarray over Iraq deepened last night after United States
officials acknowledged that American spies participated in the work of
United Nations weapons inspectors tracking down Baghdad's weapons of mass
destruction... [T]he admission that US intelligence agencies provided
information and technology to the UN Special Commission, Unscom, confirmed
long-standing suspicions in Baghdad and appeared to knock another nail into
Unscom's coffin." (Mark Tran and Ian Black, 'UN spies scandal grows,
American officials admit Iraqi data aided air strikes', The Guardian,
January 8, 1999)