Topic: Blix: Iraq worse off now than under Saddam

Media: The Associated Press
Byline: n/a
Date: 25 October 2006

COPENHAGEN, Denmark - Former U.N. chief weapons inspector Hans Blix on
Wednesday described the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq as a "pure failure" that
had left the country worse off than under the dictatorial rule of Saddam
Hussein.

In unusually harsh comments to Danish newspaper Politiken, the diplomatic
Swede said the U.S. government had ended up in a situation in which neither
staying nor leaving Iraq were good options.

"Iraq is a pure failure," Blix was quoted as saying. "If the Americans pull
out, there is a risk that they will leave a country in civil war. At the
same time it doesn't seem that the United States can help to stabilize the
situation by staying there."

War-related violence in Iraq has grown worse with dozens of civilians,
government officials and police and security forces being killed every day.
At least 83 American soldiers have been killed in October _ the highest
monthly toll this year.

Blix said the situation would have been better if the war had not taken
place.

"Saddam would still have been sitting in office. OK, that is negative and it
would not have been joyful for the Iraqi people. But what we have gotten is
undoubtedly worse," he was quoted as saying.

Blix led the U.N. inspectors that searched for weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. He came under heavy fire from
Washington when he urged U.S. President George W. Bush to allow the weapons
inspectors and the IAEA to continue their work as a way to stave off a war.

Ultimately a U.S.-led coalition invaded Iraq and no weapons of mass
destruction were found.