Text of report by the Iraqi news agency INA

Iraq has decided to stop as of tomorrow, Tuesday 13th January, the Unscom inspection team, which had arrived yesterday [Sunday], led by the American Scott Ritter, from carrying out its work and not to allow it to conduct any activity inside Iraq until it is recomposed in a manner that would ensure balance through a balanced participation by permanent member states in the Security Council.

Scott Ritter: UN team leader

In a statement to INA this afternoon, an Iraqi official spokesman said this team, which constitutes nine Americans, five Britons, a Russian and an Australian, shows striking evidence of the imbalance in the composition of Unscom and in its methods of action in Iraq.

The spokesman added that Iraq has raised as a major question that of lack of balance in the composition of Unscom, stressing that American and British domination on Unscom is behind prolonging sanctions against Iraq and obstructing the implementation of article 22 of Resolution 687 because the Americans who dominate Unscom headquarters and its activities inside Iraq have been falsifying facts, inventing lies, deliberately prolonging the process and sending false reports to the Security Council about what has been met in terms of Security Council Resolution 687 requirements.

The spokesman added that the continuation of this situation is unacceptable, adding that Iraq was hoping that a reasonable balance would be effected in Unscom composition and in its procedure in Iraq after the recent crisis but those who dominate Unscom headquarters in New York insist on their former position and their biased policy.

The spokesman pointed out that to send this team in this way underlines this insistence and this lack of respect by those dominating Unscom headquarters of the demands by other states, especially permanent Security Council member states, to increase their participation in Unscom's activities.

Source: INA news agency, Baghdad, in English 1502 gmt 12 Jan 98

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