DFA to evaluate Blix report

President Arroyo instructed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) yesterday to carefully study and assess the Feb. 14 report of the United Nations (UN) inspection team headed by Hans Blix that Iraq had not accounted for "many" arms and weapons of mass destruction.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez said the President issued this instruction to Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople a few hours after Blix, along with nuclear expert Mohamed ElBaradei, presented the report of the inspection team to Iraq before the UN Security Council (UNSC) meeting held in New York Friday night (Manila time).

Golez, who heads the Crisis Management Team, monitored the Blix-ElBaradei report at the UN telecast live here in Manila by international media.

"The Crisis Management Team notes the dynamics of the UNSC with varying positions from the members, particularly those of France, Germany, China and Russia on one side, and those of the United States, United Kingdom and Spain on the other," Golez said.

He added that the DFA is the lead department in assessing the impact of the Feb. 14 UNSC meeting on the unfolding events.

At the UNSC meeting, Blix reported that his team had not yet been able to determine how many illegal weapons Iraq had and called on Iraq to clear up the situation.

Blix admitted the Iraqi government still failed to account for the proliferation of banned arms, calling it a matter of "great significance." – Marichu Villanueva