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UNITED NATIONS (Feb. 5) -- Secretary of State Colin Powell, making his case that Iraq had defied all demands that it disarm, presented tape recordings, satellite photos and statements from informants Wednesday that he said constituted ''irrefutable and undeniable'' evidence that Saddam Hussein is concealing weapons of mass destruction.
''Iraq has now placed itself in danger of serious consequences,'' Powell told the U.N. Security Council, saying Baghdad's denials constitute a ''web of lies.''
Three months after Iraq pledged that it would disarm, Powell presented his evidence in an appearance that was televised live around the world. The Council members - joined by Iraq's U.N. ambassador - sat around a large circular table with Powell and listened attentively.
Of the 15 Council members, only the United States and Britain have voiced support for forcibly disarming Saddam. China said immediately after Powell's testimony that the inspectors should be given more time to do their work.
Iraq's ambassador, Mohammed Al-Douri, was invited to take a seat at the large circular Security Council table to listen to Powell's presentation and to make remarks afterward. As he headed into the chamber, he was asked what message he would be delivering. ''It's a message for peace,'' Al-Douri said.
In a more than hour-long presentation, Powell also detailed the U.S. claims that Baghdad and al-Qaida operatives are working together and that some followers of a senior lieutenant of Osama bin Laden are currently in the Iraqi capital, with the approval of Saddam.
Saddam, in an interview broadcast Tuesday in London, denied his government has a relationship with the al-Qaida or has weapons of mass destruction. He said it would be impossible to hide such arms.
''If we had a relationship with al-Qaida, and we believed in that relationship, we wouldn't be ashamed to admit it,'' the Iraqi leader said.
In his presentation, Powell:
-- Asserted that Iraq ''bulldozed and graded to conceal chemical weapons evidence'' at the Al Musayyib chemical complex in 2002, and had a series of cargo vehicles and a decontamination vehicle moving around at the site. Powell said that was corroborated by a human source.
-- Played an audio tape for the U.N. Security Council Wednesday between Iraqi military officers purportedly discussing hiding prohibited vehicles form weapons inspectors. He said the tape was an intercepted conversation between officers in Saddam's Republican Guard.
The voices were discussing a modified vehicle one of them had that was made by an Iraqi company, which Powell said was a weapons manufacturer.
''We have this modified vehicle,'' one of them said as the two discussed a pending visit by a U.N. weapons inspector.
''I'm worried you all have something left,'' the second voice says.
''We evacuated everything. We don't have anything left,'' the other replies.
-- Cited human intelligence sources that he said shows Iraqis are dispersing rockets armed with biological weapons in western Iraq.
-- Presented declassified satellite pictures that he said were 15 munitions bunkers. Powell said four of them had active chemical munitions inside.
-- Said Iraqi informants claim that Iraq has 18 trucks that it uses as mobile biological weapons labs.
-- Played a tape recording of an intercepted conversation between two commanders in the Republican Guard. Powell said they discussed removing a reference to nerve agents from written instructions.
Powell presented his case in a rapid-fire delivery, moving from tape recordings to photos and other evidence without pause.
He said his case was persuasive that Iraq is hiding its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and missile activity and was deliberately misleading inspectors. ''I believe this conclusion is irrefutable and undeniable,'' he said.
''The issue before us is not how much time we are willing to give the inspectors to be frustrated by Iraqi obstruction, but how much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq's noncompliance before we as a Council, we as the United Nations say: 'Enough. Enough.' ''
Most U.S. allies, including France and Germany, want more time for U.N. weapons inspectors to do their work in Iraq. But Bush and his top national security aides have said repeatedly that the United States - with or without its allies - will forcibly disarm Iraq if it does not immediately comply with U.N. resolutions requiring it to rid itself of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Five members of the council hold veto power: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
As he opened his presentation, Powell reminded the Council that it had voted unanimously last Nov. 8 for a resolution - U.N. Resolution 1441 - that ''gave Iraq one last chance to come into compliance or to face serious consequences.''
''No Council member present...had any illusion...what serious consequences meant,'' he said.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, a skeptic on any military action against Iraq, said on German television ZDF, hours earlier, that the goals of U.N. Resolution 1441 could be achieved without military action if the weapons inspectors are given more time.
Following a White House breakfast that Bush had with congressional leaders in advance of Powell's presentation, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said: ''If I had this evidence before a jury that was an unbiased jury, I could get a conviction.''
But Biden, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said ''we're talking about a different stage. (Powell) has a tougher jury and there is a lot of skepticism that exists in the international community.''
Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, attended the U.N. session. Earlier, Blix put the war clock at ''five minutes to midnight.''
AP-NY-02-05-03 1159EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
''Iraq has now placed itself in danger of serious consequences,'' Powell told the U.N. Security Council, saying Baghdad's denials constitute a ''web of lies.''
Three months after Iraq pledged that it would disarm, Powell presented his evidence in an appearance that was televised live around the world. The Council members - joined by Iraq's U.N. ambassador - sat around a large circular table with Powell and listened attentively.
Of the 15 Council members, only the United States and Britain have voiced support for forcibly disarming Saddam. China said immediately after Powell's testimony that the inspectors should be given more time to do their work.
Iraq's ambassador, Mohammed Al-Douri, was invited to take a seat at the large circular Security Council table to listen to Powell's presentation and to make remarks afterward. As he headed into the chamber, he was asked what message he would be delivering. ''It's a message for peace,'' Al-Douri said.
In a more than hour-long presentation, Powell also detailed the U.S. claims that Baghdad and al-Qaida operatives are working together and that some followers of a senior lieutenant of Osama bin Laden are currently in the Iraqi capital, with the approval of Saddam.
Saddam, in an interview broadcast Tuesday in London, denied his government has a relationship with the al-Qaida or has weapons of mass destruction. He said it would be impossible to hide such arms.
''If we had a relationship with al-Qaida, and we believed in that relationship, we wouldn't be ashamed to admit it,'' the Iraqi leader said.
In his presentation, Powell:
-- Asserted that Iraq ''bulldozed and graded to conceal chemical weapons evidence'' at the Al Musayyib chemical complex in 2002, and had a series of cargo vehicles and a decontamination vehicle moving around at the site. Powell said that was corroborated by a human source.
-- Played an audio tape for the U.N. Security Council Wednesday between Iraqi military officers purportedly discussing hiding prohibited vehicles form weapons inspectors. He said the tape was an intercepted conversation between officers in Saddam's Republican Guard.
The voices were discussing a modified vehicle one of them had that was made by an Iraqi company, which Powell said was a weapons manufacturer.
''We have this modified vehicle,'' one of them said as the two discussed a pending visit by a U.N. weapons inspector.
''I'm worried you all have something left,'' the second voice says.
''We evacuated everything. We don't have anything left,'' the other replies.
-- Cited human intelligence sources that he said shows Iraqis are dispersing rockets armed with biological weapons in western Iraq.
-- Presented declassified satellite pictures that he said were 15 munitions bunkers. Powell said four of them had active chemical munitions inside.
-- Said Iraqi informants claim that Iraq has 18 trucks that it uses as mobile biological weapons labs.
-- Played a tape recording of an intercepted conversation between two commanders in the Republican Guard. Powell said they discussed removing a reference to nerve agents from written instructions.
Powell presented his case in a rapid-fire delivery, moving from tape recordings to photos and other evidence without pause.
He said his case was persuasive that Iraq is hiding its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and missile activity and was deliberately misleading inspectors. ''I believe this conclusion is irrefutable and undeniable,'' he said.
''The issue before us is not how much time we are willing to give the inspectors to be frustrated by Iraqi obstruction, but how much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq's noncompliance before we as a Council, we as the United Nations say: 'Enough. Enough.' ''
Most U.S. allies, including France and Germany, want more time for U.N. weapons inspectors to do their work in Iraq. But Bush and his top national security aides have said repeatedly that the United States - with or without its allies - will forcibly disarm Iraq if it does not immediately comply with U.N. resolutions requiring it to rid itself of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.
Five members of the council hold veto power: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
As he opened his presentation, Powell reminded the Council that it had voted unanimously last Nov. 8 for a resolution - U.N. Resolution 1441 - that ''gave Iraq one last chance to come into compliance or to face serious consequences.''
''No Council member present...had any illusion...what serious consequences meant,'' he said.
German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, a skeptic on any military action against Iraq, said on German television ZDF, hours earlier, that the goals of U.N. Resolution 1441 could be achieved without military action if the weapons inspectors are given more time.
Following a White House breakfast that Bush had with congressional leaders in advance of Powell's presentation, Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware said: ''If I had this evidence before a jury that was an unbiased jury, I could get a conviction.''
But Biden, the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations Committee, said ''we're talking about a different stage. (Powell) has a tougher jury and there is a lot of skepticism that exists in the international community.''
Hans Blix, the chief U.N. weapons inspector, attended the U.N. session. Earlier, Blix put the war clock at ''five minutes to midnight.''
AP-NY-02-05-03 1159EST
Copyright 2003 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
