One British company at the Baghdad International Fair
Iraq-UK, Politics, 11/2/2002

The annual trade Fair was opened yesterday in Baghdad with the participation of 1200 companies from 49 Arab and European states, despite the beating of the American war drums against Iraq which stressed "confidence" in its friends at the UN security council "who will refuse" to approve the American proposed project in laying a new system of inspection for the Iraqi weapons.

In his inaugural speech at the opening session of the Baghdad 35th International Fair, Iraq's Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said that "the friendly countries will not permit the US and Britain to get the UN consent to launch the war against Iraq," noting that Baghdad approved the return back of the UN inspectors "in response to the desire of several friendly and Arab countries to refute the false claims of the American administration and its ally the British government."

Meantime, Ramadan described the chairman of the Kurdistani national federation party Jalal Talibani as "a hireling" after the latter had said in Tehran that the US will "certainly attack Iraq after the month of Ramadan." Ramadan said that "the aggression and the aggressors will be to hell," considering that the participation of the Arab states in the Baghdad's International Fair is a "positive answer." Western, Asian and Arab companies are taking part in Baghdad's fair in order to display their products. The Fair will last for 10 days and this year's fair is the largest since it resumed its activities in 1995.

While companies from France, Russia, Turkey, China, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Denmark and Iran are competing to sell and finalize deals with the Iraqi governments, no American companies are taking part for just one participating British company.

France, the main trade partner for Iraq, it was represented by 81 companies in the Fair in comparison with 90 companies in the fair of 2001. The big event for this year is the participation of 42 Saudi companies, encouraged by the re-opening of the border crossing at Ar'ar border point between the two states.

Previous Stories:
  British dossier says Iraq has 'military plans' for use of WMD . part 2   (10/4/2002)
  British dossier says Iraq has 'military plans' for use of WMD . part 1   (10/4/2002)
  Iraq's reply on Blair's report on acquisition of weapons of mass destruction   (10/4/2002)

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