Pardon me, but does this stance read like "If you threaten us, we'll call your bluff" to anyone else?
>From: "J.D. Giorgis" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: Iraq: Take This Reso and Shove It >Date: Mon, 23 Sep 2002 13:23:13 -0700 (PDT) > >Iraq Vows Not to Abide by Any New U.N. Vote >Limiting Agreement to Existing Terms Suggests Baghdad >By Rajiv Chandrasekaran >Washington Post Foreign Service >Sunday, September 22, 2002; Page A28 > > >BAGHDAD, Iraq, Sept. 21 -- Iraq said today that it >would not abide by any new U.N. Security Council >resolution that differed from the country's prior >agreements with the world body. The announcement >suggested that Baghdad would refuse to comply with >weapons inspections if the council authorized the >United States and other nations to use military force >against Iraq. > >"The American officials are trying, according to the >media, to issue new, bad resolutions from the Security >Council," the government said in a statement read on >state-run Baghdad radio. "Iraq declares that it will >not cooperate with any new resolution that contradicts >what has been agreed upon with the [U.N.] secretary >general." > >The announcement said top Iraqi leaders made the >decision during a meeting chaired by President Saddam >Hussein. > >Iraq said on Monday that it would accept the >unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors, who >were authorized under the terms of the 1991 Persian >Gulf War cease-fire agreement to search for weapons of >mass destruction. The inspectors left Iraq in 1998 >after a dispute over the facilities they could visit. >Today's statement suggests that offer would be >rescinded in the event of a new resolution. > >The announcement also appeared to be designed to >pressure Russia, China and France -- which have veto >power on the Security Council -- to oppose the Bush >administration's effort to pass a new resolution >permitting military action if Hussein fails to comply >with existing council resolutions mandating weapons >inspections and other actions by the Iraqi government. >All three nations have voiced skepticism about the >need for a new resolution. > >At the White House, Sean McCormack, a National >Security Council spokesman, said Iraq's position that >it will not comply with future resolutions is "very >disappointing," the Associated Press reported. "We are >working very hard within the international community >and specifically in the United Nations to address in >an effective way the issue of Iraqi noncompliance," he >said. > >Iraq's state-run media did not provide any >interpretation of the announcement, and Iraqi >officials were not immediately available for comment. >Hussein, in a letter read to the U.N. General Assembly >on Thursday, declared that Iraq "is clear of all >nuclear, chemical and biological weapons." He claimed >the United States had fabricated charges that his >government was secretly building weapons of mass >destruction. > >The chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix, has said >some of his deputies could arrive here by Oct. 15. > > >� 2002 The Washington Post Company > >===== >---------------------------------------------------------- >John D. Giorgis [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Ba'atha delenda est! - Freedom is Not Free > >__________________________________________________ >Do you Yahoo!? >New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! >http://sbc.yahoo.com >_______________________________________________ >http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l _________________________________________________________________ Join the world�s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
