The U.N. search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has turned up no conclusive evidence that it is developing or possessing these deadly arms. But the inspectors have also reported to the U.N. Security Council that Baghdad has given them only limited cooperation during the past two months and that there are still many gaps to be filled in its weapons declaration. The message is that more time is needed to complete the inspections.
Security Council members are divided on how to deal with the reports, which were submitted on Monday by the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). France, Russia and China, among others, say exhaustive inspections should be conducted even if they take a long time. But the United States and Britain, in particular, oppose long inspections, saying it is already clear that Iraq is hiding weapons of mass destruction. They want the Security Council to sanction military action by declaring Baghdad to be "in material breach" of U.N. resolutions.
In reality, though, the inspection process looks set to continue for some time -- perhaps another half a month or so. Germany, which will chair the Security Council next month, has proposed that new inspection reports be submitted on Feb. 24. Britain, among others, has supported the proposal. U.N. Secretary General Kofi Anan has also requested that the inspections be continued, saying an appropriate amount of time is needed to finish the process.