Alexander Coker
Encyclopedia
Alexander Coker was formerly a Chief Inspector of the Chemical Weapons team in Iraq
, while working for the United Nation’s Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Prior to that he held various other posts at UNMOVIC and had been seconded from the British Government to carry out work for UNMOVIC’s predecessor, the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM).
He holds a PhD from King’s College London, where he published work on the stability of particular chemical systems.
It is believed Dr Coker was a leading contributor to the chemical section of UNMOVIC’s working document on Iraq’s Unresolved Disarmament Issues and to the revision of the list of dual-use chemical items subject to notification by Iraq, under the Export/Import Mechanism approved by Security Council Resolution 1051
.
Under Dr Coker’s leadership, what is now known to have been the last remnants of chemical weapons (artillery shells containing mustard gas) were destroyed at Al Muthanna State Establishment (Iraq's former chemical weapons facility) - the shells were apparently part of an old stock pile remaining from prior to the first Gulf War
.
Dr Coker is mentioned in the evidence of the Hutton Inquiry
investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly and by the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC
).
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
, while working for the United Nation’s Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). Prior to that he held various other posts at UNMOVIC and had been seconded from the British Government to carry out work for UNMOVIC’s predecessor, the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM).
He holds a PhD from King’s College London, where he published work on the stability of particular chemical systems.
It is believed Dr Coker was a leading contributor to the chemical section of UNMOVIC’s working document on Iraq’s Unresolved Disarmament Issues and to the revision of the list of dual-use chemical items subject to notification by Iraq, under the Export/Import Mechanism approved by Security Council Resolution 1051
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1051
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1051, adopted unanimously on March 27, 1996, after reaffirming resolutions 687 , 707 and 715 on the monitoring of Iraq's weapons programme, the Council approved a mechanism for monitoring Iraq's imports and exports of "dual use" items.The Security...
.
Under Dr Coker’s leadership, what is now known to have been the last remnants of chemical weapons (artillery shells containing mustard gas) were destroyed at Al Muthanna State Establishment (Iraq's former chemical weapons facility) - the shells were apparently part of an old stock pile remaining from prior to the first Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
.
Dr Coker is mentioned in the evidence of the Hutton Inquiry
Hutton Inquiry
The Hutton Inquiry was a 2003 judicial inquiry in the UK chaired by Lord Hutton, who was appointed by the Labour government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly, a biological warfare expert and former UN weapons inspector in Iraq.On 18 July 2003, Kelly, an employee...
investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Dr David Kelly and by the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC
VERTIC
VERTIC is a non-governmental organization established in 1986 to promote effective verification of international agreements. VERTIC is primarily concerned with arms control and disarmament, peace, and environmental agreements...
).