The Union of Concerned Scientists, which was founded to eliminate the threat that weapons of mass destruction pose to humanity, is unequivocally opposed to Iraq's acquisition of such weapons. Iraq must comply with all relevant United Nations (UN) resolutions and allow unfettered inspections to determine whether it has eliminated its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons programs.
 
The way in which the United States and the international community address the situation in Iraq will have far-reaching effects on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in the future and on the prospects for effective international controls on such weapons.

Establishing effective controls on weapons of mass destruction will require a strong international non-proliferation regime-one based on the rule of law, supported by the international community, and enforced by the UN Security Council. Such a regime will only be workable if it reflects the will of the international community, and not just that of a single country. Unilateral and preemptive military actions by the United States against Iraq could well lead to still graver security problems. Such US actions would undermine the authority of the UN in addressing future threats to international security, as well as encourage other nations to take unilateral and preemptive military actions in situations where they feel their national interests are at stake.

The Union of Concerned Scientists strongly supports the right of the international community to impose limits on the sovereignty of nations with respect to the possession of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and to enforce such limits through UN-authorized actions. By acting in accordance with international law, the United States could set an important precedent for addressing future challenges to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The use of armed force against Iraq should be considered only as a last resort, and solely to enforce disarmament or to prevent renewed Iraqi aggression. It should be considered only if Iraq stops cooperating with UN inspections, seeks to prevent the destruction of any prohibited weapons or facilities, or prepares to attack others. Even if such conditions are met, any use of force should be multilateral and authorized by the UN Security Council.

The Bush administration has not yet presented evidence that the Iraq issue must be resolved within weeks or even months. There is time for the inspectors to complete their program of assuring that Iraq has been disarmed, and also time to lay the groundwork for a more secure and stable international order-on which US security will ultimately depend.

Accordingly, the Union of Concerned Scientists calls on President Bush to follow the advice of the inspectors on the continuation of the inspections in Iraq and to adhere to any decisions the UN Security Council makes about how to enforce Iraq's compliance with existing UN resolutions. In particular, the United States should not take any military action against Iraq without prior consideration by the UN Security Council, and its explicit approval of such action.