Scoll down or click link to go to British ‘won’t use bases on Cyprus’ to hit Iraq
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Feb 8, 2003
Chirac stands firm, tells Bush war can be avoided
French leader declares: ‘there is an alternative’
Compiled by Daily Star staff
France pulled out the stops in its drive to avert a war in Iraq Friday, ratcheting up its opposition to hostilities as the United States stepped up efforts to prepare the world for an invasion.
The top UN arms inspectors also said Iraq appeared to be making fresh efforts to cooperate over banned weapons, but warned Baghdad it must take drastic action swiftly if it wanted to avert hostilities.
The flurry of activity came a day after US President George W. Bush called for the UN to show resolve and warned that “the game is over” for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
President Jacques Chirac told Bush during a telephone conversation that “we can disarm Saddam Hussein without going to war,” the French leader’s spokeswoman said.
Chirac told Bush that both leaders share a common objective - disarming Iraq, spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said, describing details of the call.
But Chirac “also reiterated his conviction that there is an alternative to war that can achieve that.”
Earlier in the day, Chirac made it clear that he does not agree with Bush that time has run out for the Iraqi leader to come clean. Chirac has been one of the strongest proponents of resolving the Iraq crisis through diplomatic means.
French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, reacting to Bush’s warning that “the game is over,” pointedly switched to English during a visit in New Delhi to say: “It’s not a game. It’s not over.”
To underline French opposition to war, Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie insisted NATO should not begin making war preparations and Paris would not agree to do so when the alliance reconsiders the issue early next week.
France argues that only the UN Security Council can declare war on Iraq and it is too early to do that since arms inspectors there still have much work to do. Aides say Chirac is so adamant on this that he is ready for an open clash with Washington.
Permanent Security Council member Russia and rotating member Germany joined France, speaking out against any resolution for the time being. China, another veto-wielding permanent member, also called for more efforts to avoid war.
But Bush raised the pressure on the United Nations Friday, saying the world body must soon decide whether to back America’s demand that Iraq abandon its alleged chemical, biological and nuclear programs.
“The UN Security Council has got to make up its mind soon,” he said. “I’m confident that they will understand (Resolution 1441) must be upheld.”
Bush has dispatched his defense secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, to Europe to try to build support for the US stance. Rumsfeld, visiting Aviano Air Base in northern Italy, said a war with Iraq, if it happens, would last “six days, maybe six weeks,” but certainly not six months.
Rumsfeld faces an uphill task convincing some US allies of the case for military action, a campaign not helped by past comments many in Europe see as bellicose.
“The world feels a sense of momentum. It’s been a long road, 12 years long. We’ve seen enormous efforts by the international community of a diplomatic nature that have failed,” Rumsfeld said in Rome after meeting Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi. “Not only did those fail, economic sanctions and limited military action have also failed to get him to cooperate.”
Baghdad, meanwhile, aware of deep international disquiet over the prospect of war, bowed to a key UN demand and on Thursday let inspectors hold their first private interview with an Iraqi scientist linked to previous banned weapons programs.
Arms inspections chief Hans Blix gave Iraq’s move a cautious welcome but warned Baghdad that inspections could only work with “active cooperation from Iraq, not on process but on substance.” Mohammed al-Baradei, head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, said “closure” was needed on chemical and biological missiles.
“Time is critical and we need to show quick progress and we need to show drastic change on the part of Iraq in cooperation on these areas,” Baradei said of a visit by himself and Blix to Baghdad on Saturday.
Baradei said he believed a meeting with Saddam Hussein could greatly help in getting better cooperation.
“We would be willing to meet with him, obviously, if he’s ready to meet with us,” Baradei said. “That would be useful to have a discussion with him and explain to him our needs to make progress.”
Iraq has so far refused to allow U2 spy planes to overfly its territory, another key sticking point. The United States wants the planes to monitor suspected sites it alleges are being demolished or doctored by Iraq.
To counter that charge, Baghdad took foreign reporters Friday to two sites Washington says are developing long-range missiles in violation of a UN ban.
Iraq denies it has any weapons of mass destruction or links to Al-Qaeda, blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on US cities. It has vowed to rebut in a letter to the Security Council US allegations it is systematically deceiving inspectors. - Agencies
British ‘won’t use bases on Cyprus’ to hit Iraq
Cypriot foreign minister outlines country’s position for lahoud, Hammoud
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Cypriot Foreign Minister Yannakis Kassoulides said in Beirut Friday that British military bases in Cyprus won’t be used to launch military operations against Iraq.
His comments came amid a flurry of diplomatic activity, including preparations here for an Arab foreign ministers’ meeting in Cairo and a possible reduction of US diplomatic staff in the region.
Kassoulides, who is on two-day visit to Lebanon to discuss the Iraqi standoff and bilateral matters between the two countries, made the remarks following discussions with President Emile Lahoud and Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud.
“We have been talking to them (the British) and they have assured us that the British bases will not launch attacks, but may be used for backup operations, such as logistics,” Kassoulides said.
There are two large British military bases on the small Mediterranean island.
Kassoulides also reiterated his government’s earlier statements that it has accepted a request from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to host Iraqi scientists whom the world body’s weapons inspectors wish to question outside Iraq “for a short period of time.”
“This would be in accordance with Security Council Resolution 1441,” the foreign minister said. “We have indicated that we are ready to cooperate with the United Nations. This is our contribution.”
According to a statement from the Presidential Palace, Lahoud’s talks with Kassoulides focused on regional issues and bilateral ties, with the Cypriot minister affirming his country’s “commitment to strengthening ties with Lebanon.”
The statement said Lahoud briefed his guest on Lebanon’s opposition to a military strike against Iraq and “the need to respect all UN resolutions dealing with the crisis.”
The president also warned against Israeli aggression during a war and the possibility of the Jewish state’s trying to deport Palestinians to Lebanon in the event of regional turmoil.
Kassoulides told Lahoud that Cyprus remains in favor a diplomatic solution to the Iraqi crisis and the full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1441.
Discussions between Hammoud and his Cypriot counterpart also focused on bilateral relations and regional issues.
“The (Cypriot) minister has told me about the main reason for his visit, which is to get first-hand reports on the situation in Lebanon and other Arab states,” Hammoud told reporters after their meeting.
He added that discussions with his Cypriot guest had focused on the latest developments in the area, including the military buildup and the “accelerated signals related to Resolution 1441.”
Hammoud also informed his guest of the Arab position opposing any aggression against Iraq and any unilateral move by any countries.
“We are working and we shall continue to work toward sparing the region the perils of war,” Hammoud said.
Also on Friday, Hammoud summoned accredited ambassadors in Lebanon to meet with him at 11am on Saturday to confer with them over the upcoming
Arab foreign ministers’ meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 16. The meeting is to focus on the crises in Iraq and Palestine.
Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said US Secretary of State Colin Powell met with US-based foreign ambassadors of Asian and Middle East countries to assess their opinions on a potential war against Iraq. US Ambassador Vincent Battle reportedly cut his vacation short to join the meeting on Friday.
The sources said that the final countdown to war had begun, with the timing to be determined after chief UN inspectors Hans Blix and Mohammed al-Baradei report their findings to the Security Council on Feb. 14.
Sources also said the Foreign Ministry had received information about a possible decrease of staff at the US Embassy in Lebanon. The US State Department is preparing to implement so-called “authorized departure” programs for diplomats and their families in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, the officials told AFP. “It basically affects our people in countries that are within Scud missile range of Iraq,” one senior official said. - With agencies
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