Abstract
Weapons inspections in Iraq and Syria have drawn considerable attention from the international community in recent decades. This essay summarizes the key events associated with those inspections and draws upon my personal experience as a UN weapons inspector in both countries to identify lessons learned and future challenges. Those challenges include distrust among non-Western states, the difficulty of detecting much of the illicit activity, disinformation, and deficiencies in inspector training.
Highlights
Weapons inspections in Iraq and Syria have drawn considerable attention from the international community in recent decades
I was active with United Nation Special Commission (UNSCOM) as Chief Weapons Inspector between 1994 and 2000, dealing with the chemical and biological weapons programs
Iraq had effectively used “first generation” chemical weapons in its conflict with Iran, which ended in August 1988, and this experience had encouraged the Iraqi government to make new investments and long-term plans for weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and their delivery systems
Summary
Weapons inspections in Iraq and Syria have drawn considerable attention from the international community in recent decades. This essay summarizes the key events associated with those inspections and draws upon my personal experience as a UN weapons inspector in both countries to identify lessons learned and future challenges. Those challenges include distrust among non-Western states, the difficulty of detecting much of the illicit activity, disinformation, and deficiencies in inspector training
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