http://www3.haaretz.co.il/eng/scripts/show_katava.asp?id=28964&mador=1&datee=9/28/98
Ha'aretz, September 28, 1998
Former American inspector: Israel was
key in unmasking Iraqi arms
By David Makovsky, Ha'aretz Diplomatic
Correspondent
NEW YORK - Israel was quietly instrumental
over the last four years in helping United
Nations arms inspectors uncover how Iraq
conceals its weapons of mass destruction,
according to the person who headed the UN
Special Commission (UNSCOM) unit dealing with
Iraqi arms concealment.
In an exclusive interview with Ha'aretz last
Friday, veteran arms inspector and former
Marine Scott Ritter said he made many trips to
Israel during his tenure as arms inspector.
"From '94 to '98, I was there a lot," Ritter
said.
Ritter quit his post last month in protest of
what he felt was Clinton administration
inaction in carrying out the Iraqi arms
inspections.
Ritter told Ha'aretz that he had the idea of
soliciting Israel's assistance with the
inspections because UNSCOM was not getting
adequate assistance from the Central
Intelligence Agency and other U.S. government
offices.
Ritter praised the professionalism Israel
showed in working with UNSCOM over the last
several years. He said it demonstrated that
Israel was taking seriously a UN Security
Resolution passed after the Gulf War calling
on all member countries to work closely with
UNSCOM to disarm Iraq of its weapons of mass
destruction.
"I can honestly say that if weren't for
Israel, the Special Commission would not have
been able to carry out the anti-concealment
effort," Ritter said. "It's Tel Aviv that can
be hit by these missiles and not New York
City, and we were actually, frankly speaking,
a little dismayed with the lack of intensity,
the lack of enthusiasm that emanated from
Washington, D.C. on this issue. The [U.S.]
treated [concealment] more as an academic
exercise, and I thought Israel treated it as
it is - a matter of life and death."
Ritter also blamed the CIA for instigating the
FBI's current investigation into whether
Ritter engaged in espionage by providing
sensitive information to Israel. Ritter
ridiculed the investigation on several counts
as "outrageous."
First, he indicated the idea of cooperation
with Israel was authorized by UNSCOM head Rolf
Ekeus and each trip was approved by his
superiors. Second, he said, he informed the
U.S. government "every step" of the way.
Third, being a UN official, he had no CIA
security clearance, and therefore even if he
wanted to, he would have no access to
top-secret U.S. documents, a point which he
says the CIA recognizes. Ritter insisted that
the CIA was motivated more by jealousy since
UNSCOM had a better working relationship with
Israeli officials than American officials.
Since quitting last month, Ritter has appeared
before Congressional panels to complain about
how the Clinton administration told UNSCOM not
to conduct arms inspections in the last couple
of months in order to avoid confrontation with
Iraq. The administration sharply denies the
charges.
The interview with Ha'aretz, which runs in
full detail tomorrow, is the first time that
Ritter has addressed in depth UNSCOM's ties
with Israel and its link to the FBI
investigation.
The former arms inspector stressed that it was
UNSCOM tapping Israeli expertise in dealing
with cells of militant groups, not UNSCOM
being used by Israel. "Israel was a fair
player on all of this. It was extremely
responsible," Ritter said, adding: "I didn't
receive any money from Israel... I got a shake
of the hand, a pat on the back."
(The complete interview with Mr. Ritter
appears in tomorrow's edition of Ha'aretz-IHT.
(c) copyright 1998 Ha'aretz. All Rights Reserved
