WASHINGTON -- Iraq covered up evidence of a biological weapons program to develop cholera, tuberculosis and the plague that was much larger than previously suspected, U.N. officials disclosed yesterday.
In the 1980s, the Iraqi government imported enough material to cultivate 3.3 tons of bacteria, said Rolf Ekeus, chairman of the United Nations Special Commission in charge of Iraqi disarmament.
When confronted last week, Iraq claimed that the material was imported for medical use. But when U.N. inspectors asked for the growth media or documentation about it, Iraq claimed that both were destroyed during 1991 uprisings after Operation Desert Storm.
The revelation is particularly alarming because biological weapons are most effective against civilian targets. And Iraq showed no compunction about using chemical weapons against civilian targets during its eight-year war with Iran.
Some 33 tons of "growth or diagnostic media," in which germs can be grown, was imported in 1988 and 1989, after Iraq's war with Iran.
"Only a small amount of growth media is needed for diagnostic medical purposes," Mr. Ekeus said. "This can only coincide with the production of biological weapons."
But he said Iraq no longer has "militarily significant amounts of chemical weapons."
Baghdad's biological weapons effort is the main obstacle in the way of lifting economic sanctions. Mr. Ekeus said he is optimistic that Iraq wll be in full compliance this year.
A satisfactory report is considered the turning point after which the Security Council can consider lifting U.N. sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.