Panel Concludes Iraq Lied About Nerve Gas Arsenal

Leaving open the possibility that Iraq retains a hidden supply of the quick-killing nerve agent VX, a panel of chemical weapons experts has concluded that the Iraqi government lied to U.N. weapons inspectors about its nerve gas arsenal, according to a report made public Monday.

The experts met at the United Nations last week to review tests conducted by laboratories in the United States, Switzerland and France on missile warhead fragments recovered from Iraq. Although only the American lab found definitive evidence of VX, one French test found traces of a nerve agent that could have been VX or sarin, also a deadly gas. Moreover, all three labs found evidence that the missile fragments had been treated with decontaminants, which raises the question of whether the warheads were “scrubbed” by Iraq to remove nerve gas elements before the tests were conducted.

The findings, reported to the Security Council on Monday, are significant because Iraq has repeatedly denied to U.N. weapons inspectors that it ever placed VX in munitions. The American tests, the experts found, showed that VX had been loaded into at least two missile warheads that were unilaterally destroyed by Iraq during or immediately after the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

That conclusion, in turn, raises the question of whether there are other missiles loaded with VX still hidden in Iraq. VX is a highly lethal agent that kills within seconds of touching the skin.

Iraq has accused the U.S. lab of fabricating its results and is expected to cite the findings of the Swiss and French labs to bolster that argument. But two reviews by independent panels of international experts have confirmed the validity of the American tests.

In addition, the evidence of decontaminants cited by the French and Swiss labs calls into doubt the truthfulness of Iraqi representations to the inspectors.

Under terms of the cease-fire that ended the Gulf War, the inspectors must certify that Iraq has dismantled its chemical, biological and atomic weapons programs and its long-range missiles before the Security Council can eliminate economic sanctions imposed on Baghdad after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

The Iraqi government halted most cooperation with the inspectors Aug. 5 and has refused to answer additional questions about its VX program. The Security Council has demanded the resumption of cooperation and has offered to conduct a full review of its relationship with Iraq in return. Baghdad, however, has so far refused to retreat.