Bush insists that Iraq honor agreements made
Iraq-USA, Politics, 1/25/2002

Asked to comment on President Bush's remarks on Iraq, in the interview with NBC's Tom Brokaw broadcast January 23, that Afghanistan was just the first step in the war on terrorism and that Iraq was being watched carefully, White House spokesman Fleischer said:

"Well, the President was very clear in what he said, and the reason the President said it is because Saddam Hussein signed an agreement that helped end the Persian Gulf War in which he committed himself and promised to allow inspectors into the country. That was one of the terms of surrender. And it's another indication of the risks that Saddam Hussein presents to the world when he made that agreement, swore to the world, and then as soon as he was able to, he reneged on the agreement. And the President stands strong and firm in his insistence that Saddam Hussein live up to the agreements that he himself made, that he committed his country to, to protect peace and stability in the region.

"And the President believes very deeply -- having not decided, and I'm not indicating any next course of action specific to Iraq -- but that the world follows strong leadership. And I think that's one of the lessons that you've seen in Afghanistan, that the President was strong in Afghanistan, and the world has followed. President Musharraf was strong in Pakistan, and the Pakistani people have followed. And that's how the President believes that the United States can lead the world and lead the world to a more stable world and more peaceful world."

The United Nations has passed resolutions regarding the return of inspectors to Iraq and Iraq is violating those resolutions, Fleischer said.

President Bush "has indicated up to this point that Iraq needs to return the inspectors to Iraq. That is the extent of what the President has said to date," on that subject, Fleischer said.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq got only half of medicines it needs in the frame of oil-for-food program   (1/19/2002)
  Washington suspends financial aids to Iraqi opposition   (1/9/2002)
  An American plan to topple Saddam Hussein   (1/7/2002)

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