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UNMOVIC sought another private interview with an Iraqi biological scientist last evening. He showed up for the appointment alone but did not agree to the mode of interview, as proposed by UNMOVIC. The interview therefore did not proceed.
An UNMOVIC chemical team went to Al Mutanna, approximately 140 km north of Baghdad in preparation for the beginning of the process of destroying 10 155mm artillery shells and four plastic containers filled with mustard gas. The destruction process will begin tomorrow and is expected to last four to five days to complete. UNMOVIC chemical inspectors will work with an Iraqi team in the destruction process. These artillery shells were scheduled to be destroyed by the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) in 1998 but the plan was halted when UNSCOM withdrew from Iraq. UNMOVIC ascertained on 4 December 2002 that these shells were still stored at Al Mutanna. An UNMOVIC chemical team will leave the Canal Hotel for Al Mutanna tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.
The IAEA held no-notice inspections at Tuwaitha, 15 km south of Baghdad today. Two mobile air samplers capable of measuring particulate nuclear matter have been deployed at suitable locations around Baghdad for the last four days. An IAEA team retrieved the two samplers and samples were taken. The samplers will be relocated in new positions tomorrow. Another IAEA team conducted a car-borne radiation survey of two military bases and surrounding areas in an area 20km south of Baghdad.