Iraq has stopped the production of banned Al-Samoud 2 missiles, a UN spokesman said today, confirming the destruction of 55 missiles in 10 days.
Mr Hiro Ueki told a press conference this afternoon that three more Al-Samouds, nine warheads and a launcher were destroyed under UN supervision today.
He added that the number of UN inspectors in Iraq had fallen to 71, from more than 100 at the end of February, but denied the fall was part of evacuation plans ahead of an anticipated US-led war.
"We have not brought down the number of our staff," he said, explaining that many inspectors had left Iraq after the expiry of their three-month contracts and others had since arrived.
"One dozen arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday," he said.
The latest Al-Samoud destructions raised to 55 the number of missiles scrapped since the process was launched on March 1st, roughly half the total number which Iraqi officials say were produced.
Twenty-eight combat warheads, two launchers, five engines and components of the guidance and control systems have also been destroyed.
Iraqi officials say the country has produced about 100 Al-Samoud 2 missiles, which UN experts said had to be scrapped because they exceeded the range limit 93 miles allowed by UN resolutions.
The scrapping of the missiles has been the most tangible sign of Iraq's cooperation with the inspectors probing its alleged weapons of mass destruction programmes.
AFP