I can hear the accusations already, but to my view, this is very good news, not in the least to the peoples of Iraq and Yugoslavia. Macdonald >Iraq and Yugoslavia vow to resist Western siege > >BAGHDAD: Nov 8 (South News) - Iraq and Yugoslavia, both under sanctions, >pledged to work together >to resist the United States and its hegemony. > >``Iraq and Yugoslavia have to work together...against the aggression which >is still continuing,'' Monday's >Baghdad press quoted Yugoslav Foreign Trade Minister Borislav Vukovic as >saying during a meeting with >President Saddam Hussein. > >Iraq and Yugoslavia started trade talks to cement economic cooperation >between the two countries, and >to strike trade contracts under the United Nations oil-for-food deal. > >Vukovic was the only official received by President Saddam Hussein among >several visitors from other >countries attending the current international Baghdad trade fair. The Iraqi >News Agency INA quoting >Vukovic as telling Saddam during the meeting on Sunday that Iraq and >Yugoslavia should work together in >order to end international sanctions on their respective countries. > >INA said Vukovic delivered to Saddam a message from Yugoslav leader >Slobodan Milosevic ``on bilateral >relations and means to develop them.'' > >``We are with you... and both Baghdad and Belgrade are fighting >imperialism,'' Saddam said in a clear >reference to the United States and its Western allies. > >Parallels were drawn between the Yugoslav crisis and Iraq's own >confrontations with the United States. >``In their aggression against Iraq and Yugoslavia, the aggressors have used >the same tactics,'' Saddam told >the Yugoslav visitor. > >In December last year the United States and Britain unleashed a >four-day-long air campaign against Iraq >over weapons inspections, similar to NATO bombings of Yugoslavia. > >Baghdad newspapers quoted Iraq's Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan as >saying the bombing of Iraq >and air strikes against Yugoslavia were intended to impose control of the >two countries. The papers said >Ramadan made the remark while receiving Gojkovic. > >On Sunday, INA said Iraq and Yugoslavia started trade talks to cement >economic cooperation. Both >countries played major roles in the Non-Aligned Movement and many Yugoslav >firms were involved in >industrial and construction projects in Iraq before its 1990 trouble with >Kuwait. > >Earlier this year the Belgrade press said Yugoslavia had signed contracts >with Iraq worth $18 million to >supply food in exchange for oil. ``The Iraqi market is open wide for >Yugoslav companies to resume >business in Iraq,'' the Iraqi press quoted Saleh as saying. > >Iraq strongly condemned the NATO air strike campaign against Yugoslavia >over its violent repression of >ethnic Albanians in the province of Kosovo earlier this year. > >INA said there had also been a meeting between Vice President Taha Yassin >Ramadan and Yugoslav >deputy Prime Minister Maja Gojkovic, who was in Baghdad for a women's >conference. > >``Iraq's support for Yugoslavia is a principled attitude based on Iraq's >rejection of interference in the >internal affairs of countries,'' INA quoted Ramadan as saying. ``Yugoslavia >will continue defending its >sovereignty and destiny despite all sacrifices,'' INA quoted Gojkovic as >saying. > >The 16th Iraqi Women Conference, focusing on "women and children reeling >under the 9-year-old UN >economic embargo" opened Monday in Baghdad with more than 200 women >participants from around the >world. > >According to UNICEF, more than 1 million children have died as a direct >result of the UN economic >embargo. Other UN agencies have reported that Iraqi women have the highest >rate of nervous disorders >among women worldwide. EnKhedu Anna of Mesopotamia, "history's first known >woman poet," is the >symbol of the conference, depicting the history and culture of Iraqi women. > ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com --- from list [EMAIL PROTECTED] ---
