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Ex-UN arms inspector: Iraq not a threat
BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- A former United Nations arms inspector said Sunday that Iraq is incapable of producing weapons of mass destruction, and that military action against the country could not be justified.

But in a speech to the Iraqi parliament in Baghdad, former inspector Scott Ritter urged Iraq to prove it does not possess such weapons by allowing inspections to resume.

Ritter said Iraqi cooperation would leave the United States standing alone regarding threats against Iraq, and would be the best way to avert war.

"My government is making a case for war against Iraq that is built upon fear and ignorance, as opposed to the reality of truth and fact," he said.

However, Ritter also said, "Iraq must loudly reject any intention of possessing these weapons and then work within the framework of international law to demonstrate this reality."

In his speech, Ritter proposed creation of what he called "an honest broker" mechanism that would assure unhampered inspections but would not infringe on Iraq's "sovereignty, dignity and national security."

Ritter, an ex-U.S. Marine captain, was known as a tough inspector, but in recent years he has become increasingly critical of U.S. policies toward Iraq.

"The truth of the matter is that Iraq today is not a threat to its neighbors and is not acting in a manner which threatens anyone outside its own borders," he said.

Ritter warned that the United States was on the verge of making a historic mistake, "one that will forever change the political dynamic which has governed the world since the end of the Second World War; namely the foundation of international law as set forth in the United Nations Charter, which calls for the peaceful resolution of problems between nations."

He also described himself as a "fervent patriot" and a "good citizen" of the United States, but said he could not "stand by idly, while my country behaves in such a fashion."

posted by West 3:08 PM