Butler meeting with Tariq Aziz today

UNSCOM chief Richard Butler is meeting today with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, then he will travel to Kuwait tomorrow.

Aziz condemned the continuation of weapons inspection operations in Iraq, stating that Iraq destroyed all its prohibited weapons in 1997. Aziz accused UNSCOM's of deliberate injustice against Iraq saying that if the UNSCOM (UN inspection team) inspectors think they have one chance in a million to find a proof of guilt against Iraq, then they will not be convinced of Iraq's compliance with the UN resolutions. He also said that seven years have passed since they started their works and it is enough time to declare that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction.

Aziz said that during the last consultations in the Security Council, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Said al-Sahaf "proved that the international committee's game is a political one."

Butler had stated that he would present Iraq with a "road map" to follow if it wants to be certified as having complied with UN resolutions relating to disarming Iraq of certain types of weapons.