On 9-11 June 2002 the IISS together with the Nixon Center and Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI) hosted a workshop on 'The Continuing Threat of Iraq’s WMD Programs'. The workshop, which was funded by the W. Alton Jones Foundation and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), took place at the IISS in London and brought together officials and experts representing the Middle East, Europe, the US and Russia to discuss the future and past of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programmes.
The workshop opened on the morning of June 10 with welcoming remarks by Dr John Chipman, Director of the IISS, followed by introductory remarks by Dr Gary Samore, IISS Senior Fellow for Non-Proliferation and Dr Geoffrey Kemp, Director of Regional Strategic Programs at The Nixon Center. The objectives of the workshop were to assess the current status of Iraq’s WMD programme, considering regional perspectives on the Iraqi WMD threat and options for managing it.
The conference began with background briefings by Mr Fouad El-Khatib, Visiting Fellow at IISS and a former UNSCOM inspector, and Mr Garry Dillon, former head of the IAEA Iraq Action Team. Mr El-Khatib and Mr Dillon provided a historical review of Iraq’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs as well as missile programs. Thorough accounts of the technical aspects and the achievements and limitations of international inspections efforts were provided. The meeting then moved to a discussion of the current political situation, with various regional perspectives of Europe, Russia, the Middle East and the U.S., and policy implications and options.
Related Links
The International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Middle East Programme (/prog-mideast.php)
