Posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 at 11:43AM :
In Reply to: "Russia warns of veto on Iraq" posted by Lilly from ? (160.129.27.22) on Tuesday, September 03, 2002 at 11:32AM :
What I heard on the radio last night was that Aziz spoke, at the World Development Summit in Johannesburg, about the sanctions - how Iraq has not recovered its infrastructure since the sanctions were imposed. & he continued to say that sustainable development was not possible in Iraq as long as there were sanctions, which do not allow Iraq to recover the materials necessary to rebuild the infrastructure. Here is more on the speech - I edited out the stupid stuff (i.e. the stuff by BBC "Mid East analysts & anything Fleischer or Wolfowitz said -what IDIOTS!!! Reading what they think is a waste of time). Oh, & you can see where Cheney's heart lies... I wonder how much stock he owns in the various corporations that make up the military-industrial complex here in the States...
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Tuesday, 3 September, 2002, 14:17 GMT 15:17 UK
taken from BBC News Online
Iraq pushes for UN dialogue
Mr Aziz (left) said Iraq wanted a reasonable solution
Iraq says it is ready to consider re-admitting UN arms inspectors, but only as part of a wider agreement which respects Iraqi sovereignty and brings an end to UN sanctions.
Iraqi deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz told UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in Johannesburg that Baghdad was still hoping for a peaceful solution to the current conflict with Washington, but was "preparing to defend itself" form the threat of a US attack.
UN role
Mr Aziz told journalists that Iraq "could consider" allowing arms inspectors to return, but only as part of a "comprehensive settlement" that would see the end of economic sanctions and threats from Washington.
"As I told the secretary general, if anybody can have a magic solution so that all these issues are being dealt with together, equitably and reasonably, we are ready to find such a solution and we are ready to co-operate with the United Nations," he said.
Ahead of the meeting with Mr Aziz, Mr Annan told the BBC that the UN Security Council had an important role to play in resolving the crisis.
"Everyone is talking of the implementation of Security Council resolutions," he said.
"The council is the ultimate authority on its own resolutions, and there should be an interpretation of its resolutions. I hope they will have a word to say about this before anything is done."
Mr Aziz said that the issue of weapons inspections was not the only sticking point between Iraq and the US.
"Sanctions, the continuous aggression, threats of war - all these issues have to be addressed," he said.
"Let us solve all the problems comprehensively. There is no crisis between Iraq and the United Nations. The problem is with the [American government]."
Split in Washington?
US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that if Iraq allows UN inspectors back in to complete their assessment of its weapons industry, it will be a "first step".
He has also said that the US needed to present evidence of the threat it believes is posed by Iraq so that an informed judgement can be made about a possible military strike.
But US Vice-President Dick Cheney has said there was no point in sending inspectors back to Iraq and argued forcefully for military action.
Mr Aziz's meeting with the UN secretary general comes as US statements on Iraq continue to attract international criticism, especially from Europe.
-- Lilly
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