Lonely Holiday for American Arms Inspector

B A G H D A D, Iraq, Dec. 24, 2002 -- On the job, U.N. weapons inspector Kay Mareish comes off as brisk, focused and tough. While conducting inspections, she is often the only woman — and she is unquestionably in charge.

Her demeanor changes completely, however, when you ask about her 7-year-old daughter.

"Sarah is a beautiful princess," Mareish gushes, "with the greatest eyes that God created and the greatest smile that I ever saw in my life."

Mareish hasn't seen her daughter or her husband since Dec. 5, when she left her home in Leesburg, Va., to come to Iraq.

She admits to missing her family so much that, some days, she cries. But as the United Nation's chief biological inspector — whose job it is to find secret Iraq bioweapons programs — Mareish doesn't get that much time for reflection.

At work by 7 a.m., Mareish leads inspections at factories, hospitals and laboratories across the country. After a quick dinner at the U.N. compound in Baghdad, Mareish and the 23 members of her team get back to work — writing reports and planning for the next day's inspections. She usually doesn't head back to her hotel until 10 p.m.

Scientifically Speaking

Thus far, she says she's developed a good working relationship with the Iraqis, who have not obstructed her work. "I get to see every room that I want," she said. "Every closet, every refrigerator, every freezer. I talk to every person I could meet in that building, from the directors to the head of departments to the technicians running equipment in the laboratory."

Mereish was raised overseas, and moved to the United States for college. She became an American citizen, and went to work as a scientist for the U.S. Army and the State Department. As someone with experience in Iraq — she was one of the original weapons inspectors in the 1990s — she casts some doubt on the plan, popular in Washington, to take Iraqi scientists out of the country for questioning.

While many U.S. officials say removing scientists and their families is the best way to expose Iraq's weapons secrets, Mareish isn't so sure the scientists themselves will go along.

"It is a very difficult thing for me to comprehend that somebody would be willing to do it," she said. "It's very risky."

Not Completely Christmas

Those out-of-country interviews may not start for a few weeks. In the meantime, Mareish will work straight through Christmas. Though there's a little plastic Christmas tree in her hotel lobby, she is not feeling very festive.

"It's completely not Christmas. I don't feel it. I don't have that spirit anymore." Mareish said.

She says that's because she's not with Sarah.

When she speaks to her on the phone, her daughter often asks her to come home. But Sarah seems to understand that her mother is doing something important.

"My husband says she keeps telling her friends, 'Mommy's going to stop the war,'" Mareish said.

Mareish dismisses the doubters who say the inspectors have no hope of achieving anything. She says if she didn't think this job was worthwhile, there's no way she'd be so far away from her daughter on Christmas.