UN Weapons Chief Defends His Role
The UN's chief weapons inspector, Richard Butler, Thursday defended his role in criticising Iraq's attitude towards disarmament efforts amid objections from many nations that this report prompted the US airstrikes on Iraq.
Butler, chair of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM), angrily denied allegations that he coordinated with US officials the tough conclusions of his Tuesday report blaming Iraq for lack of cooperation with the weapons inspectors.
The Australian diplomat also denied allegations that the report's release was timed to coincide with US preparations for an attack on Iraq. He said, he had promised several weeks ago to report to the UN Security Council by Dec. 15 on Baghdad's cooperation with weapons inspectors and had kept that schedule.
He added that the report "was based on the experts of UNSCOM. It danced to no-one's tune."
Yet the UNSCOM chief, who has often been taken to task by Iraq and its allies for his blunt criticism of the Baghdad leadership, is facing a strong challenge to his job amid charges that his report provided a pretext for the US attack.
According to media reports, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov blamed Butler, not Iraq, for the standoff over weapons inspections and has called for his dismissal.
Chinese Ambassador Qin Huasun blasted Butler's report as "one-sided", while observers at a heated Security Council session Wednesday reported Russian Ambassador Sergey Lavrov as commenting after the US attack that Butler's report had "done its work."
According to Amnesty International, some 30 Iraqis are believed to have been killed in the first night of US bombing US forces fired Tomahawk Cruise missiles at Iraq for a second consecutive night from Thursday through the early hours of Friday.
Significantly, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has defended Butler in the past, was silent about his weapons chief's fate in the aftermath of the US bombing. Annan on Monday had defended Butler's blunt style by noting that "he has a rather difficult job" and is "only human."
Yet UN sources say Annan is privately angry that Butler consulted extensively with US diplomats about the report before informing the secretary-general and the Security Council about it or about his decision to withdraw UNSCOM inspectors from Iraq.
Annan confirmed that Butler decided to pull out the UN inspectors Tuesday night after being advised by US officials. Butler said he withdrew his inspectors because Iraq was hindering them from accomplishing any effective work.
The Washington Post on Thursday cited sources who claim Butler "engaged in extensive consultations at the American UN mission (in New York), causing some speculation that he had toughened the report in response to American suggestions."
Butler criticised allegations that he could have adjusted his conclusions to satisfy the United States or any party, saying that he took full responsibility for his report. But there are many signs that Butler - who met with US officials in a "secure room" in the New York mission on Monday - may have given the United States an early tip-off to his findings.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Israeli media Thursday that US President Bill Clinton informed him before leaving Israel of Tuesday, about UNSCOM's tough report and the prospect of a US attack on Iraq.
However, Clinton's departure occurred hours before the United Nations even announced that Butler had delivered his final report to Annan late Tuesday afternoon in New York.
UN officials have not commented on the Australian official's fate, but few believe Iraq will ever let Butler back into the country following the attacks.
Although Butler vowed to continue his work and said he would be willing to return to Iraq if it cooperates with UNSCOM, speculation is rising at the United Nations that the attacks have ended UNSCOM's work in Baghdad and with it, Butler's tenure.
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