Musing

 UNSCOM withdrew its inspectors in December1998 and on that same day following the report of UNSCOMS’s Chairman, Richard Butler, to the Security Council, the U.S. and the UK began a three-day aerial assault on Iraqi leadership, military and WMD-related sites in Operation Desert Fox. A year later the UN Security Council disbanded UNSCOM and on December 17, 1999 adopted resolution 1284 and created the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) to replace it.

Part A

1. What is the mission of UNMOVIC and how does it differ from UNSCOM?


2. Dr. Hans Bix was appointed the Executive Chairman for UNMOVIC.  After he established its infrastructure in 2000, he reported to the Security Council that UNMOVIC was “ready to go.”  Was Iraq ready to go?  What happened next?  Explain.


3. If Dr. Bix learned that another country was producing WMDs or components thereof or missiles for Iraq, can resolution 1284 be applied to other Member States and provide the legal basis for an inspection by UNMOVIC on another state’s territory?  Explain.


4. What happened to UNMOVIC and do you think it was a good thing or a bad thing?  What do you have to say about its track record? Should the world have a permanent UNMOVIC as a standby mechanism for future Iraq-type cases?  If so, could this be a mechanism to give the BWC teeth?  What say you?

Part B 

Among other things, UNMOVIC figured out “Curveball” and his motives.  Let’s take a closer look at “Curveball,” shall we?

• Watch the 60 Minute interview "Curveball" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDSIiewsVqE that originally aired on November 4, 2007;


• Watch Interview with "Curveball" on February 2011 by the British newspaper The Guardian.

Interesting, don’t you think?  Now then:

Discuss the videos and Curveball’s claims, the “intelligence” he proffered and what he said he was involved in while in Iraq.  In doing so, please consider the following:

1. Who is Curveball and how did that name originate? 


2. There are different viewpoints as to what Curveball’s motives truly were.  Was he simply an Iraqi hero that truly wanted to overthrow Saddam Hussein, or a true terminator?  Perhaps he was just a downtrodden guy trying to get his green card by playing the system?  What say you?


3. Human sources of intelligence (HUMINT) were used by Secretary Colin Powell to make his case at the U.N in February 2003. Do you believe that the Iraq war (Operation Iraqi Freedom) would have happened regardless of what Curveball said or didn’t say?  Explain.


4. Why did the German Federal Intelligence Service (Bundesnachrichtendienst, or BND) refuse the CIA the opportunity to interview Curveball?  What were the consequences of this repudiate


5. When did the US finally learn the truth?


6. Finally, what impact do you think Curveball had on Secretary Colin Powell and the U.S.?  How about the world stage? 

APA format, 2 pages, in-text citation, references include.