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http://www.tehrantimes.com/Description.asp?Da=9/26/02&Cat=4&Num=4 Tehran Times Setpember 26, 2002 Russia Dismisses "Propaganda Fuss" Over Blair Report MOSCOW (AFP) -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov on Wednesday dismissed what he called a "propaganda fuss" surrounding British Prime Minister Tony Blair's dossier on Iraq's arsenal, and said the return of UN weapons inspectors to the country was the prio rity. Moscow received a copy of the British report, but Ivanov said it was important "not to make a big propaganda fuss" over the issue, RIA Novosti news agency reported. "We need to wait for the involvement of the experts and only then can we make some conclusions. Only specialists can determine whether Iraq has weapons of mass destruction," he was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. For this reason, Russia was "actively working to obtain the speedy return of inspectors to this country," added Ivanov. Unveiling a long-awaited dossier, Blair told the British Parliament Tuesday that Iraq may be only a year or two away from possessing a nuclear bomb, and has "military plans" for the use of chemical and biological arms, AFP reported. London, Washington's closest ally in its plans to strike Baghdad, was seeking to bolster the case for military action against Iraq over its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Monday during a visit to Spain that Moscow acknowledged the use of force against Iraq was a possibility but called it the last of all preferred options. He called Iraq's agreement to the return of inspectors without conditions "a very positive result and a step in the right direction." Russia, as one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, has the right to veto any new UN Security Council resolution, which would allow the use of force against Iraq. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [email protected] 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 ==^================================================================
