> U.N. arms chief wants answers from U.S. about reports of spying > > Boston Globe January 8: > > UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The head of a U.N. commission charged with > disarming Iraq is demanding to know whether the United States used the > weapons inspectors' work to gather intelligence. > > Richard Butler said he brought the matter up with U.S. officials > Thursday, asking them what Washington "might have done unbeknownst to > us," in reportedly using U.N. weapons searches to undermine the Iraqi > regime. > > Butler also discussed his concerns with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi > Annan, who later spoke with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. > > Annan and Albright discussed allegations that the United States had > "piggybacked" on the inspectors' work for its own foreign policy > goals, U.N. officials said. > > Albright assured Annan that Americans in or connected with UNSCOM, > the U.N. weapons commission, strictly supported Security Council > resolutions. > > In an interview with The Associated Press, Butler said he expected to > have a "relevant conversation about it" today with U.S. officials > and that he "wanted real answers". > > "We don't want our system misused in that way", Butler said. > > Butler came under fire following newspaper reports this week that > detailed a surveillance operation that allowed Washington to eavesdrop > on Iraqi military communications network, reportedly through U.N. > weapons inspections. > > The New York Times today quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying > that the United States used the U.N. team to eavesdrop, and that the > operation had Butler's blessing. > > Butler on Thursday denied he ever authorized any surveillance of > Saddam Hussein's communications - only messages that related to the > National Monitoring Directorate, which works with U.N. inspectors in > carrying out arms searches. > > Iraq has long called for Butler's replacement, accusing him and his > inspectors of being spies. Butler denied his staff had ever spied, but > said he wanted Washington to clarify whether some other collection > efforts or piggybacking on us may have been taking place". > > U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Thursday that the United Nations > wasn't in a position to investigate such allegations itself, and said > it would have to wait to see if any of the charges were corroborated. > > Butler stressed that he had never directed inspectors' surveillance > go anywhere near the Iraqi government. > > Emphasizing the point, Butler said just before inspectors evacuated > Iraq before the Dec. 16-19 airstrikes, they had established in the > desert a system to check television waves to monitor the flight paths > of missiles. > > "I directed quite specifically, that there be limitation to that > work, that Iraq be accompanied with us and see what we were doing, and > that they (inspectors) in no way - in any way - lock on to any Iraqi > military or government communications because I didn't want to be > accused of exactly this sort of stuff. > > "And that has been our policy", he said. > > Butler has chaired UNSCOM for two years, heading the body responsible > for overseeing the destruction of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as > called for by the cease-fire resolutions that ended the Persian Gulf > War. An oil embargo imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 cannot be > lifted until the inspectors report Iraq is weapons-free. > > Butler said Thursday he hadn't decided whether he would stay on the > job after his term ends June 30. But he rejected the suggestion that > the newspaper stories were leaked by Annan's office to undercut him > and thus allow for a less controversial inspection regime to return to > Baghdad. > > "The idea that somehow that this whole mega-crisis with Iraq could be > solved by giving my head on the plate to the Iraqis is just not > serious", Butler said.
U.N. arms chief wants answers from U.S. about reports of spying Boston Globe January 8: UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The head of a U.N. commission charged with disarming Iraq is demanding to know whether the United States used the weapons inspectors' work to gather intelligence. Richard Butler said he brought the matter up with U.S. officials Thursday, asking them what Washington "might have done unbeknownst to us," in reportedly using U.N. weapons searches to undermine the Iraqi regime. Butler also discussed his concerns with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who later spoke with Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Annan and Albright discussed allegations that the United States had "piggybacked" on the inspectors' work for its own foreign policy goals, U.N. officials said. Albright assured Annan that Americans in or connected with UNSCOM, the U.N. weapons commission, strictly supported Security Council resolutions. In an interview with The Associated Press, Butler said he expected to have a "relevant conversation about it" today with U.S. officials and that he "wanted real answers". "We don't want our system misused in that way", Butler said. Butler came under fire following newspaper reports this week that detailed a surveillance operation that allowed Washington to eavesdrop on Iraqi military communications network, reportedly through U.N. weapons inspections. The New York Times today quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying that the United States used the U.N. team to eavesdrop, and that the operation had Butler's blessing. Butler on Thursday denied he ever authorized any surveillance of Saddam Hussein's communications - only messages that related to the National Monitoring Directorate, which works with U.N. inspectors in carrying out arms searches. Iraq has long called for Butler's replacement, accusing him and his inspectors of being spies. Butler denied his staff had ever spied, but said he wanted Washington to clarify whether some other collection efforts or piggybacking on us may have been taking place". U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said Thursday that the United Nations wasn't in a position to investigate such allegations itself, and said it would have to wait to see if any of the charges were corroborated. Butler stressed that he had never directed inspectors' surveillance go anywhere near the Iraqi government. Emphasizing the point, Butler said just before inspectors evacuated Iraq before the Dec. 16-19 airstrikes, they had established in the desert a system to check television waves to monitor the flight paths of missiles. "I directed quite specifically, that there be limitation to that work, that Iraq be accompanied with us and see what we were doing, and that they (inspectors) in no way - in any way - lock on to any Iraqi military or government communications because I didn't want to be accused of exactly this sort of stuff. "And that has been our policy", he said. Butler has chaired UNSCOM for two years, heading the body responsible for overseeing the destruction of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction as called for by the cease-fire resolutions that ended the Persian Gulf War. An oil embargo imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990 cannot be lifted until the inspectors report Iraq is weapons-free. Butler said Thursday he hadn't decided whether he would stay on the job after his term ends June 30. But he rejected the suggestion that the newspaper stories were leaked by Annan's office to undercut him and thus allow for a less controversial inspection regime to return to Baghdad. "The idea that somehow that this whole mega-crisis with Iraq could be solved by giving my head on the plate to the Iraqis is just not serious", Butler said. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
