Regarding Iraq’s December 7, 2002, declaration of its weapons programs, chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix wrote: “In my briefing of the [UN Security] Council on December 19 [2002], I noted that the biological section [of the declaration] was essentially a reorganized version of a declaration provided to UNSCOM [UN Special Commission on Iraq] in September 1997. The chemical area of the text was an updated version of a declaration submitted in 1996. The missile part also had largely the same content as a declaration of 1996, with updates added. I reported to the Council that our preliminary examination of the declaration had not provided material or evidence that solved any of the unresolved disarmament issues. At the same time I noted that while individual governments had stated that they had convincing evidence contradicting the Iraqi declaration, UNMOVIC [UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission] was neither in a position to confirm Iraq’s statements, nor in possession of evidence to disprove them.”
– Hans Blix, Disarming Iraq, Pages 107-108