Editing Hans Blix (section)

==Iraq disarmament crisis (2002–2003)==
During the [[Iraq disarmament crisis]] before the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]], Blix was called back from retirement by UN Secretary-General [[Kofi Annan]] to lead the [[United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission]] in charge of monitoring Iraq. Kofi Annan originally recommended [[Rolf Ekéus]], who worked with UNSCOM in the past, but [[Russia]] and France vetoed his appointment. <!--"Called back from retirement" is mentioned in "Disarming Iraq"; should check for more details. Much has to be written about the work done in Iraq. "Disarming Iraq" is a good reference -->

Blix personally admonished Saddam for "cat and mouse" games<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1413384/Dont-mess-with-us-UN-warns-Saddam.html |title=Don't mess with us, UN warns Saddam |first=Marcus |last=Warren |date=16 November 2002 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |access-date=2012-05-09 |location=London}}</ref> and warned Iraq of "serious consequences" if it attempted to hinder or delay his mission.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2485209.stm | work=[[BBC News]] | title=Blix warns Iraq over inspections | date=17 November 2002}}</ref>

In his report to the [[UN Security Council]] on 14 February 2003, Blix claimed that "so far, [[United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission|UNMOVIC]] has not found any such weapons [of mass destruction], only a small number of empty chemical munitions."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/Iraq/Story/0,,895882,00.html | location=London | work=The Guardian | title=Full text: Hans Blix's briefing to the UN security council | date=14 February 2003}}</ref>

In 2004 Blix stated that "there were about 700 inspections, and in no case did we find weapons of mass destruction."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/18_blix.shtml | work=UC Berkeley News| title=Blix: There were about 700 inspections, and in no case did we find weapons of mass destruction | date=18 March 2004}}</ref>

Blix's statements about the [[Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|Iraq WMD program]] contradicted the claims of the [[George W. Bush administration]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-03-21 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060824053559/https://www.cia.gov/cia/reports/iraq_wmd/Iraq_Oct_2002.pdf |archive-date=24 August 2006 }}</ref> and attracted a great deal of criticism from supporters of the invasion of Iraq. In an interview on [[BBC 1]] on 8 February 2004, Blix accused the US and British governments of dramatizing the threat of [[Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction in Iraq]] to strengthen the case for the [[2003 invasion of Iraq|2003 war]] against the government of [[Saddam Hussein]]. Ultimately, Blix was largely vindicated; the invasion failed to turn up any active WMD programs.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=2024-11-27|title=Iraq War 10 Years Later: Where Are They Now? Hans Blix (U.N. weapons inspector)|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/iraq-war-10-years-later-where-are-they-now-hans-flna1c8956460|date=19 March 2013|website=NBC News}}</ref>

In an interview with ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper, Blix said, "I have my detractors in Washington. There are bastards who spread things around, of course, who planted nasty things in the media."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/jun/11/iraq.usa | work=The Guardian| title=Blix: I was smeared by the Pentagon | date=11 June 2003}}</ref>

In 2004, Blix published a book, ''Disarming Iraq'', where he gives his account of the events and inspections before the coalition began its invasion.

===CIA investigation===
Senior American officials ordered the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] (CIA) to investigate Blix to gather "sufficient ammunition to undermine" him so that the US could start the invasion of Iraq. The American officials were upset that the CIA did not uncover such information.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/04/15/skirmish-on-iraq-inspections/1223f8bd-2129-4a05-b5e4-f1c5ca1c6582/|title=Skirmish on Iraq Inspections|last=Pincus|first=Walter|newspaper =[[Washington Post]]|date=April 15, 2002}}</ref><ref>[http://www.accuracy.org/release/668-chemical-weapons-agency-coup/ The Institute for Public Accuracy, 24 April 2002, "Chemical Weapons Agency 'Coup'"?]</ref>

Blix said he suspected his home and office were bugged by the United States while he led teams searching for Saddam Hussein's supposed weapons of mass destruction.<ref name="bug">{{cite news | title=Blix suspected U.S. spied on him | url =http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/28/un.britain/index.html | publisher =[[CNN]] | access-date = 2007-09-20 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080407085915/http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/02/28/un.britain/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 7 April 2008}}</ref> Although these suspicions were never directly substantiated, evidence of a request for bugging of UN Security Council representatives around the time the US was seeking approval from the council came to light after a British government translator leaked a document "allegedly from an American National Security Agency" requesting that British intelligence put wiretaps on delegates to the UN Security Council.<ref>{{cite news | title= Iraq war 'spy memo case' collapses | date= 25 February 2004| url =http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/02/25/uk.gchq/index.html | publisher =[[CNN]] | access-date = 2008-04-21 }}</ref>