HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- Thursday, 4 July, 2002, 15:11 GMT 16:11 UK
UN hails 'positive' Iraq
talks
Iraq has refused to allow UN inspectors back
in
Talks on whether arms inspectors can return to Iraq have
been positive, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said on Thursday - but there is
no sign of a major breakthrough.
Asked if anything concrete would come of the meeting with Iraqi officials, Mr Annan smiled and said: "Inshallah", the Arabic word for "God willing".
The UN wants to see its arms inspectors return to Baghdad after a ban of more than three years. But Iraq wants to discuss when the sanctions imposed on it after the 1991 Gulf War will be lifted - as well as what the UN can do about US threats to overthrow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "I am satisfied by the talks we had this morning and I hope we can resume them in the same spirit," Mr Annan told reporters after a morning one-on-one meeting with Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri. "We had serious talks in an honest manner," Mr Sabri said, echoing Mr Annan's positive mood. "I am satisfied with the way it went." UN officials have warned not to expect too much from the two-day meeting in Vienna. The UN Security Council sees the return of the arms inspectors as an essential step before any talk of lifting the 12-year-old economic sanctions on Iraq. Diplomatic waltz This is the third meeting between the Iraqis and the UN since the beginning of the year. Earlier talks have been something of a diplomatic waltz around the issues that have so far prevented Baghdad from agreeing to the return of the weapons inspectors. UN weapons inspectors were pulled out of Iraq just before the United States and Britain launched a round of air strikes in December, 1998 to punish Baghdad for blocking their work. Iraq has not allowed them back in since to search for the chemical, biological or nuclear weapons that it has been accused of continuing to develop. However, UN diplomats did hail one agreement on Thursday as a "significant" sign. Iraq agreed to return 90% of the archives it took when it occupied Kuwait. Mr Sabri and Mr Annan held one-on-one talks on Thursday morning, while other officials joined them in the afternoon. The talks will continue on Friday. --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: archive@jab.org EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bacIlu Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================ |
_1054358_iraq_megapuf.gif
Description: GIF image
<<_38116098_bombs_pa300.jpg>>
<<_38116109_annan_ap150.jpg>>
