Gen. Garner heads to Baghdad; No mass destruction weapons found
Iraq-USA, Politics, 4/21/2003

The American army gen. Jay Garner who was assigned by the US administration to run Iraq provisionally stressed that his team has no set schedule to transfer the authorities to the Iraqis, claiming that the US will not impose the form of the next Iraqi government or its composition.

Garner who will enjoy vast authorities, claimed that what is of concern for the USA is to have a government expressing the desire of the Iraqi people. As to the nature of the government, the Iraqis have the option and the US will honor that.

Garner intends to move to Baghdad today with his team of 400 assistants, including military men, diplomats, experts in economy and finance and 20 judges, lawyers and technocrats.

Meantime, the American Gen. Bafort Blont said Baghdad's International airport will be opened within one week for planes which will transport humanitarian aid to the Iraqis.

For his part, Muhammad Mohsin al-Zubeidi who is in charge of running of the affairs of the capital Baghdad announced the foundation of 22 municipal committees in charge of running the affairs of the capital. He said that the mission of these committees are to cover the sectors of electricity, waters, health, education, transport, information, defense and foreign affairs. He explained that these committees are just municipal committees and will not replace a government for Iraq.

Meantime, the spokesman for al-Jazeera Shield forces (Saudi based Arab gulf-states common force) said that these forces will leave Kuwait to their permanent headquarters in Hafer al-Batin in Saudi Arabia within the first week of May. He explained that this decision was taken as a result of the stable conditions at the local and regional arenas.

Meantime, AFP said that the search operations for the mass destruction weapons in Iraq did not achieve any progress by the American side. A matter which will be negatively reflected on Washington's credibility.

The agency said that the spokesman for the central American leadership in al-Seleiyah in Qatar Gen. Vincent Brox used repeatedly expressions like "mosaics.. when he talked about the file of the mass destruction weapons in Iraq. The agency added that though this issue was the main stated reason behind launching the war against Iraq, yet the American forces and after one month of the beginning of the war did not find any element proving the US-UK accusations.

Washington announced its intention to send 1000 experts to take part in the inspection operations for the mass destruction weapons besides several hundreds of American soldiers who currently are carrying out research operations with a team of specialists equipped with mobile laboratory.

The agency added that even if the Americans display what they will consider mass destruction weapons alleged to be found in Iraq, they know that doubts will be raised on that they had planted the chemical elements in Iraq to prove their allegations. Suspicion of the US implanting evidence may have been one of the reasons for having the independent UN inspectors do the work.

Previous Stories:
  Demonstration in Baghdad rejecting occupation; US forces redeployed   (4/19/2003)
  Looting of Iraq's museums amounts to cultural, human catastrophe, Moroccan press   (4/18/2003)
  Iraqi museums' looting is a catastrophe, ALECSO's director general   (4/17/2003)

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