Russia still believes Iraq war a mistake: top diplomat

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, February 06, 2004

Russia still believes Iraq war a mistake: top diplomat

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said Thursday that his country still regards the US-led military operation against Iraq as a huge political mistake, and urged the United Nations to resume functions for Iraq's settlement.

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said on Feb. 5 that his country still regards the US-led military operation against Iraq as a huge political mistake, and urged the United Nations to resume functions for Iraq's settlement.

"We continue to stick to our opinion that the war against Iraq, not sanctioned by the UN Security Council, was a gross political mistake," he was quoted by Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

Fedotov rebutted the allegation that the United Nations has become too frail to counter present-day threats and challenges, and called upon the world body to resume work in the post-conflict Iraq by using its extensive experiences in the restoration of peace.

The pressing task now is to find a way out of the present stalemate by joint efforts in accordance with norms of international law to ensure a better life for the Iraqi people, he said.

The deputy minister said that a final clarification about whether or not Iraq possesses weapons of mass destruction (WMD) should be made as soon as possible.

Iraq did develop WMD, but "some of those weapons were destroyed either by the Iraqis themselves or under the control of international inspectors," and the point now is whether any banned components for the production of WMD remain in the country, Fedotov said.

He emphasized that any findings related to WMD should be verified by independent international inspectors, and the UN Security Council should take measures to prevent these weapons from getting into the hands of terrorists.

Russia, a steadfast opponent to the US-led war against Iraq, has been critical of coalition forces for their failure to find WMD, a key factor used by the United States and its allies to justify the war that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime. Russia also insists on a central UN role in the reconstruction process in post-war Iraq.

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