Missile experts called in by UN arms inspectors have concluded that Iraq's Al Samoud 2 missile has a longer operational range than is permissible under UN resolutions and the missile's engines should probably be destroyed, diplomats said today.
The development was likely to provide new fuel to the US campaign to convince the 15-nation Security Council that Iraq is in violation of council resolutions requiring Iraq to disarm, the diplomats said.
"The verdict on the missiles was that Al Samoud falls in the prohibited zone and its engines should probably be destroyed," a Security Council diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission had called in outside rocket experts for a two-day meeting on Monday and Tuesday to discuss whether the liquid-fueled Al Samoud 2 or a solid propellant missile called Al-Fatah violated the 90-mile (150 km) limit on the range of Iraqi missiles.
The experts concluded during the two-day meeting that it was less clear whether a second Iraqi missile, the Al-Fatah, also violated the range limit, the diplomats said.