US vs Iraq: Deja vu all over again
Iraq, Politics, 1/14/1998

In developments reminiscent of last year's October - November US - UN - Iraqi crisis, Iraq, by refusing retired US Marine Scott Ritter's weapons inspection team an official escort which allows him to do his job, prompted the UN Security Council to approve yet another resolution reiterating that the UN inspection team should have unlimited and unhindered access to Iraqi sites.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz complained that the UN teams' composition is unbalanced and biased, stating that it is mostly "Anglo-Saxon," as they hold all the key positions on the inspection team. Aziz repeated previous complaints against the flights of US-owned U-2 spy planes working for the UN, saying that the U-2 is still spying on Iraq. Aziz said that Iraq will not shoot down the plane saying that this a continuation of Iraq's complaint against the flights.

In a departure from past action, Aziz said neither UN team nor its US members will be kicked out of Iraq. Aziz said the UN team has the right to choose its own composition, "but we have the right to protest." In november, Iraq expelled the US members of the team, and the rest of the UN team withdrew in protest.

Aziz said, "We want fair treatment," and "if the US is sincere about its suspicions that Iraq is hiding weapons "they should welcome the help of more experts from other countries. This issue is of main concern to Iraq as Iraq has insisted that other countries, such as France, China and Russia, be allowed to have their own experts on the team.

Aziz expressed his doubts that Iraq will see the sanctions lifted soon, saying that the UN inspection team with its current composition is being used as a "game to keep sanctions."

Chief UN Weapons Inspector Richard Butler made a statement immediately after Aziz's remarks that he will accept three new experts presented by China and said that Russia has not yet provided a list of experts. This was meant as a direct response to Aziz, as Aziz has claimed that Butler is using delaying tactics in approving experts to delay finishing the job of inspections.

Aziz categorically denied reports that Iraq has used humans as guinea pigs for experimentation of chemical and biological weapons, saying "never" has Iraq done such a thing.

Butler, whose team has made some of these allegations, said, "I heard Deputy Prime Minister Aziz's statement, and I accept it."

US Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson said the UN resolution passed today is clear in that Iraq "must reverse course." Richardson insisted that, "Our objective is to resolve this diplomatically, and that this is not a fight between the US and Iraq."

In a statement to reporters, Aziz referred to a telling story about Iraqi frustrations with the Buttler team that Iraq is accusing for working for US objectives. Aziz stated that when the UN inspection team wanted to investigate three sites that are near the UN headquarters in Iraq for suspicion that the Iraqis are spying on the UN team, the UN team went to investigate the sites, that included a school and a hospital, and the UN team found no evidence of spying. Yet, when the UN Security Council asked Buttler about the results of the investigation, Buttler told the Security Council that the results were "inconclusive." This is a clear example, said Aziz, of selective reporting in which inspections that reflects positively on Iraqi compliance are never reported, while negative reports that are based purely on speculation are given priority and publicity.

Buttler was visibly angry when he had to say "I accept Azziz's statement" referring to the alleged reports of Iraqi use of Chemical weapons on humans for experimentation, which Aziz categorically denied.

That the US does not want to see sanctions lifted off Iraq, ever, is not news. Richardson confirmed that yet again by saying, "Iraq has no possibility of seeing the sanctions lifted." This is a repetition of previous remarks made by Richardson and others of the US policy of "dual containment", of which Iran is the second "Pariah", and in which prolonged sanctions are one of the tools of this policy's implementation.

Buttler will reportedly be in Iraq in a matter of days for discussions with the Iraqis.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq will resume its oil exports tomorrow   (1/13/1998)
  Aziz optimistic about resolving UN inspection problem   (12/17/1997)
  The Iraqi minister of justice calls for enhancing Arab solidarity   (12/2/1997)

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