UN detects farming near hazardous Iraqi arms site

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N02383688.htm

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Iraqis have begun farming at a shut-down chemical weapons plant where thousands of tonnes of hazardous compounds were once produced, stored or destroyed, U.N. weapons inspectors warned on Friday

"There may well be health, safety and security hazards associated with the agricultural activities," the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, or UNMOVIC, said in its latest report on weapons of mass destruction activities inside Iraq.

Recent satellite images are showing signs of "agricultural activity" inside the perimeter of the former Muthanna State Establishment, Iraq's primary chemical weapons research, development and production facility from 1983 until 1991, the inspectors said in a report to the U.N. Security Council.

The signs of farming were observed just 500 yards (metres) from bunkers where the deadly chemical warfare agent sarin and nearly 200 tonnes of arsenic and cyanide compounds had been stored under U.N. seal before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.