Were could inspectors search? (Iraq)

[Major_Kong]

Could they search any place in Iraq? Could they search Saddam’s palaces?

[Tarantula]

They could, and did. But they didn’t find anything. I think the scope of the entire project was set out by the UN before they left for Iraq.

I could be wrong though…

[Major_Kong]

Anyone have a cite they could search Saddam’s palaces? I have been looking but I can’t find a good cite.

[Spiny_Norman]

They could, and they did:

Iraq has on the whole cooperated rather well so far with UNMOVIC in this field. The most important point to make is that access has been provided to all sites we have wanted to inspect and with one exception it has been prompt. <snip> Our inspections have included universities, military bases, presidential sites and private residences. Inspections have also taken place on Fridays, the Muslim day of rest, on Christmas day and New Years day.

From the UN website: UN website

[Phage]

Why do you need a cite? The entire issue was that we needed to search those areas, and they said no. So we blowed them up, and searched anyway.

[UncleBill]

They were able to search in very late 2002 and early 2003. From late summer 2002, the Bush Adminstration was in full “gonna attack Iraq” mode.

Sept. 19: Bush asks Congress for authority to “use all means,” including military force if necessary, to disarm and overthrow Saddam if he does not comply with U.N. demands.
Oct. 7: In a national address, Bush calls Saddam a “murderous tyrant” and says he must disarm Iraq or the United States “will lead a coalition to disarm him.”
Oct. 10-11: The House votes 296-133 and the Senate votes 77-23 authorizing Bush to use military force if necessary against Iraq.
Nov. 8: Security Council unanimously approves U.S.-drafted resolution saying Saddam will face “serious consequences” if he fails to comply with weapons inspections, which resume later.
Dec. 24: Rumsfeld starts troop buildup.

The writing on the wall does not get any more clear. It was in Saddam’s interest to cooperate as fully as possible just before the dawn of an invasion.

[Major_Kong]

They could, and they did:

Weren’t intelligence photos shown during Powell’s UN presentation showing trucks leaving from the rear of sites as UN vehicles approached from the front? Access was eventually granted, but only after the bad guys were able to get out of Dodge. Or was this from past inspections?

[Publius]

*Originally posted by Phage *
**Why do you need a cite? The entire issue was that we needed to search those areas, and they said no. So we blowed them up, and searched anyway. **

Nope.