# UN weapons inspectors in USA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 21, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928 "2002-09-21T03:41:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/1 "2002-09-21T03:41:56Z")
Our fearless leader here in the USA is thinking of making a war with another country for the right of UN weapons inspectors to check out the warehouse. So do all members of the UN let inspectors in to check them out? If so how often? And when was the last time they checked out the USA? How does this work? I can’t imagine that a nation just lets the UN in anytime they show up for a spot inspection. Must the UN vote on a special inspection for a specfic nation? ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/2 "2002-09-21T03:52:27Z")
Allowing UN weapons inspectors into the country was one of the conditions Iraq agreed to to end the Gulf War (probably soon to be Gulf War I). In other words, Iraq is a special case for weapons inspectors because they agreed to allow them in in exchange for an end to hostilities. AFAIK, the US has no agreement to allow UN weapon inspectors in, but back in the cold war Soviet inspectors were allowed in as a part of various nuclear arms treaties and IIRC some Russian inspectors have been allowed in post '92. ---
**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/3 "2002-09-21T04:15:55Z")
Thanks Ribo A fellow at work told me that the USA does allow inspectors in and was also sure that Iraq has a atom bomb. He has seen photos! I am sure there is lots of misinformation in this country now about this situation and I did not want to be a part spreading that. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/4 "2002-09-21T04:28:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*From [UNSCOM\*](http://www.un.org/Depts/unscom/General/basicfacts.html) > **By its resolution 687 of 3 April 1991, the United Nations Security Council established the terms and conditions for the formal cease-fire between Iraq and the coalition of Member States co-operating with Kuwait. Section C of this resolution called for the elimination, under international supervision, of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres (km), together with related items and production facilities. It also called for measures to ensure that the acquisition and production of prohibited items were not resumed. The United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) was set up to implement the non-nuclear provisions of the resolution and to assist the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the nuclear areas.** Had Iraq not invaded Kuwait, there would have been no will at the UN to form UNSCOM and force inspections. The [IAEA](http://www.iaea.org/worldatom/Programmes/ActionTeam/faqs.html#mandate) is a quasi-UN organization which routinely carries out less intrusive inspections in countries that have [renounced](http://www.ceip.org/files/publications/TrackingOverviewTable.asp?p=8&from=pubdate) their development of nuclear weapons under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. I don’t believe the IAEA has any _weapons_ inspection role in the US or the other declared nuclear states under the treaty - coincidently, the five permanent UN Security Council members. India and Pakistan are the other two declared nuclear states, but are not parties to the treaty. ---
**Author:** ![Stellablue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@Stellablue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stellablue)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2002, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/5 "2002-09-21T23:32:46Z")
Thanks dqa for the details. Your work is most appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/6 "2002-09-22T00:34:01Z")
Modern-day Russia still sends weapons inspectors to the US, & _vica versa_, today. The old treaties are usually still in force. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/7 "2002-09-22T03:56:30Z")
[humor]The UN Weapons Inspectors stationed in the USA fly around in those black helecopters![/humor] ---
**Author:** ![Beagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Beagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beagle)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2002, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/un-weapons-inspectors-in-usa/128928/8 "2002-09-22T05:08:27Z")
> [@](#): > > …was also sure that Iraq has a atom bomb. He has seen photos! Iraq has an advanced plan for a nuke that will work. [Here is a schematic.](http://iraqwatch.org/wmd/nuclear.html) Scroll way down. Read the last paragraph.