Iraq has illegally acquired engines and other missile components, weapons inspectors reported to the UN Security Council on Thursday, but they do not believe Iraq used these parts to try to develop nuclear weapons.
Hans Blix, head of the UN Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission, said inspectors had found no 鈥渟moking guns鈥� to indicate that Iraq has been developing nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
But he added: 鈥淚nspections have confirmed the presence of a relatively large number of missile engines, some imported as recently as 2002. This import has taken place in violation of the relevant resolutions.鈥� He noted that raw materials intended for use in the production of solid rocket fuel were also found during inspections, which began in November 2002.
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UN council resolutions imposed after the Gulf War in 1990 ban the sale of any military weapons to Iraq. They also restrict the development of ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres, as well as nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
Uranium refinement
However inspectors ruled out a link between aluminium tubing imported by Iraq and nuclear weapons. Iraq has admitted to buying high-strength aluminium tubing in 2001 and 2002 but claims this was destined for the production of 81-milimetre missiles.
The US has argued that these tubes were meant for use as centrifuges crucial to the refinement of uranium that could be used in nuclear weapons.
Mohammed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is carrying out the nuclear inspections in Iraq, said: 鈥淭he question is still open, but we believe at this stage that these aluminium tubes were intended for manufacturing rockets.鈥�
Short range threat
Duncan Lennox, editor of Jane鈥檚 Strategic Weapons Systems, a defence industry publication, says 81 millimetre missiles typically have a range of a few kilometres and are fitted to helicopters. He says the missile鈥檚 motors are contained within aluminium tubing.
鈥淲ithout knowing precisely what type of aluminium, I couldn鈥檛 give definitive answer,鈥� Lennox told New Scientist. 鈥淏ut it wouldn鈥檛 surprise me if they were used for 81 millimetre rockets.鈥�
The types of engines imported by Iraq might provide clues as to the country鈥檚 rocket programs. But the UN inspectors鈥� office in Iraq told New Scientist that this information could not be disclosed.
A dossier issued by the UK government in October 2002 suggested that Iraq has tested missiles with a range of 200 kilometres. However, this has not been independently confirmed.