Baghdad: Iraq is Demanded to Produce Material Proof of Lack of Non-Existent Things

Baghdad considers the situation around the inspections in Iraq paradoxical - Iraq is being demanded "to produce material evidence of the lack of something non-existent," Iraqi ambassador to Russia Abbas Halaf said on Wednesday.

"That's why Baghdad insists that the absence of traces of weapons of mass destruction is the best evidence of the absence of weapons of mass destruction proper," Halaf said.

The ambassador stressed that Iraq had given inspection teams "access to all facilities which [the inspectors] chose to examine." "One should be kamikaze to untie inspector's hands for the search of weapons of mass destruction while having them at the disposal," the ambassador added.

According to him, Baghdad is not confused by the fact that UN Security Council Resolution 1441 almost openly places Iraq in the guilty position.

"Baghdad's position of principle on the inspections in the country is: it is necessary to put an end to the situation around Iraq as soon as possible," the ambassador said.