Roundup: Countries Urge Consideration of Iraq's Invitation to Arms Inspectors

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, August 04, 2002

Roundup: Countries Urge Consideration of Iraq's Invitation to Arms Inspectors

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Some countries including France and Germany, US allies in Europe, welcomed on Saturday Iraq's proposal to resume talks on UN arms inspections and urged the international community to seriously consider the "positive move" while the United States continued to support a regime change in Iraq despite Baghdad's recent invitation for arms inspection.

Amid growing speculation that the United States is preparing military action to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Iraq sent a letter to UN chief Kofi Annan on Thursday, inviting the chief UN weapons inspector to Baghdad for technical talks.

The letter said Hans Blix, executive chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, and his experts were welcomed to discuss outstanding disarmament issues "to establish a solid basis for the next stage of monitoring and inspection activities and to move forward to that stage."

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov, who visited Iran and neighboring countries last month, told RIA news agency that Iraq's proposal contained no condition likely to prevent progress toward a settlement.

"According to our information, the Iraqi proposals are linked to no condition, or at least conditions which could be unacceptable in terms of a long-term settlement," said Saltanov.

"Our position is that given that there has been a specific moveforward, we should take full advantage of it," he added.

Russia has long urged Iraq to allow the return of UN weapons inspectors, who lest Iraq in December 1998 on the eve of a US-British bombing, and called for the lifting of UN sanctions on Baghdad.

Egypt on Saturday termed as positive Iraq's invitation to the chief UN arms inspector.

"The move is a positive step that opens the door to allow UN arms inspectors to return to Baghdad," Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told reporters.

Egypt has been trying to convince Iraq to accept the UN arms inspection while stressing that Iraq's sovereignty and territorialintegrity should be maintained.

The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iraq since the latter's 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait.

Under the related UN Security Council resolutions, sanctions can be lifted only when inspectors certify that Iraq's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons have been destroyed.

Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East, and Iran both expressed opposition to a possible attack on Iraq.

"We have a common position with Iran," Iranian state television quoted Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal as saying on his arrival in Tehran on Saturday for a one-day visit.

"We oppose any military attack against Islamic and regional countries and we are both opposed to any American military attack against Iraq," he said.

"If such dangerous phenomena (use of force) become an ordinary occurrence, then no government and nation will feel safe from powerful countries," Iranian President Mohammed Khatami said during his talks with Prince Saud.

France welcomed Iraq's invitation to chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix for technical talks in Baghdad.

"We support all efforts that could lead to a respect by Iraq of its obligations toward the UN Security Council," said Marie Masdupuy, deputy spokeswoman of the French Foreign Ministry, on Friday.

When meeting with visiting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, French President Jacques Chirac said Iraq must accept an unconditional return of UN weapons inspectors.

The German government clearly stated its reservations on Saturday to a possible US attack on Iraq and called for a comprehensive solution to the Middle East crisis.

In an unusual manner, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder warned of "talking about or merely considering a war against Iraq without thinking of the consequences and without a political conception for the whole Near East."

Last week, Germany and France reaffirmed the position that theywould not support military strikes against Iraq without a mandate by the United Nations.

A resolution by the UN Security Council is necessary to launch military strikes against Iraq, Chancellor Schroeder and President Chirac said during a French-German summit meeting in the northern German city of Schwerin.

However, US President George W. Bush said Saturday that nothing has changed in the stated US policy to seek government change in Iraq despite the fact that Baghdad invited UN weapons inspectors for talks.

"I'm a patient man. I'll use all the tools at our disposal. Nothing's changed," Bush said to reporters at Prouts Neck, Maine.

Bush vowed that his administration "will defend freedom no matter what the cost."

Earlier on Saturday, US Secretary of State Colin Powell said in Manila on an Asian tour that he believed the Iraqi president was trying to stall for time amid growing speculation about a military strike against him.

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