Blockade on Iraq should go no further
Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 1/15/2001

Egypt's Presidential political adviser Osama Al-Baz said that the blockade on Iraq and the prolonged suffering of its people should not continue for good.

Egypt is against perpetual sanctions on Iraq, Baz said, adding that the sanctions should not be used for vendetta purposes.

In statements, after attending the fourth session of the 14th annual conference on political research that kicked off at Cairo University Saturday, Baz said that Egypt was working within the framework of the United Nations (UN) and international principles.

An understanding and practical outcome should be reached to lift sanctions off Iraq as soon as certain UN-specified tasks are completed whether through an inspection committee or any similar thing, but continued sanctions for good will never be accepted by Egypt, said Baz.

He ruled out that the new US Administration would take the same course of the Clinton Administration as regards the Iraqi issue, noting that things changed since the launching of the Desert Storm operation 10 years ago.

The presidential advisor said that the new US Administration might be confined to the overall frontiers of the problem but it should be considered that if former US President George Bush had still been in power, he most probably would have thought matters over because there are several international interests and the Arab public opinion that should be taken into account.

Asked why Egypt had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) without waiting for Israel to sign first, Baz replied that Egypt did not sign the NPT recently but in the aftermath of the 1967 war.

The pretext then was that when Egypt signs Israel would follow suit, and that was the prevailing opinion by the two superpowers then, he said.

Egypt signed this agreement because it badly needed world support and the signing aimed at prompting Israel to sign.

Baz further called for more coordination among all quarters concerned with trade negotiations whether in the field of partnership or free trade agreements.

He urged training courses for young elements to negotiate issues like disarmament and trade.

Previous Stories:
  Iraqi vice president visits Cairo   (1/11/2001)
  Egyptian medical aids for Iraq   (1/4/2001)
  Egyptian weekly flights to Baghdad   (12/21/2000)

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