UN inspectors left Baghdad

BAGDAD – Embarked on a UN plane, all 136 UNMOVIC and International Atomic Agency inspectors left Baghdad and landed in Larnaca (Cyprus). Hans Blix’s men after more than four months of inspections leave Iraq following the instructions of Kofi Annan who yesterday suspended the activities of the teams of scientists.

A move harshly contested by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, according to which Kofi Annan has been shown to be a “total domination” of the United States by ordering UN inspectors to leave Iraq. “The response of the UN secretary general reflects a total capitulation to US aggression projects – said Sabri – that have already been rejected by the international community and by the Security Council with the” no “to an imperialist war”.

The inspectors, with the UN blue helmets in mind, did not hide their bitterness when they left Iraq. “It is unpleasant, but we have to start: there has been a decision higher up,” said the spokesman of inspectors Hiro Ueki. And he was not the only one to express regret: “It is sad to have to leave: we know we should have stayed longer to finish our work,” said one of the Unmovic men, waiting at the airport. “Of course – added Ueki – we did our best”.

March 18, 2003