journalist Blix took off from JFK airport. It is always interesting watching him, the chief inspector himself getting inspected himself at security. He as always, as with every occasion, is remarkably good-humored about it all -- "The inspector," he said, "gets inspected."

re: U.S. intelligence (11/27/2002) "Well, intelligence is intelligence. If they simply say, "We have intelligence telling us that," that's interesting, but it's not evidence." re: Iraqi WMD (2/14/2003) "One must not jump to the conclusion that they exist. However, that possibility is also not excluded."

re: Iraqi Al Samoud missiles (02/21/2003) "The appropriate arrangements should be made so that the destruction process can commence by March 1, 2003." report to Security Council (03/08/2003) "We are not watching the breaking of toothpicks. Lethal weapons are being destroyed."

re: U.S. intelligence "Certainly there are shortcomings in the intelligence. I have never said that it was pathetic. These are not words that I have used." re: U.S. opposition (06/11/2003) "I have my detractors in Washington. There are bastards who spread things around, of course, who planted nasty things in the media. Not that I cared very much." "It was like a mosquito bite in the evening that is there in the morning as an irritant," he said, claiming "some elements" of the Pentagon were in a smear campaign against him.

re: U.S. and British intelligence (06/24/2003) "It is sort of fascinating that you can have 100 percent certainty about weapons of mass destruction and zero certainty of about where they are."

re: Blix (Kofi Annan - 06/30/2003) "Few United Nations officials have demonstrated the calm, grace and professionalism that you have in the face of virtually unprecedented pressure and attention over the past several months."

on "spin and hype" (09/18/2003) "In the Middle Ages when people were convinced there were witches they certainly found them. This is a bit risky." "We know advertisers will advertise a refrigerator in terms that we don't quite believe in, but we expect governments to be more serious and have more credibility."

re: Belief that Saddam Hussein destroyed WMDs without telling anyone (09/20/2003) "You can put up a sign on your door, 'Beware of the Dog,' without having a dog."