Proliferation

Woah, what's going on here? Parts of Iraq's nuclear programme are vanishing into the desert. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has said in a letter to the UN Security Council that high-precision "dual-use" items including milling machines and electron beam welders appear to have disappeared, as has material such as high-strength aluminium. I thought that there were currently 100,000 foreign troops in that country. At least some of them must be trying to prevent potential WMD material from falling into terrorist hands.

What's more, the is not being allowed free access to Iraqi nuclear sites by US forces and the US-backed Iraqi government. As Hans Blix points out, inspectors need the right to be on the ground to monitor the situation. But as it currently stands, the IAEA is tying to monitor the remnants of Iraq's nuclear technology from satellite images. It's a bit like babysitting through a telescope from the other side of town.