Annan on way to Baghdad, latest developments on Iraqi crisis
Iraq, International, 2/16/1998

There is international and Arab anxiety and anticipation over the Iraq crisis due to the escalation and perception of an increasing probability of an American military strike against Iraq.

A technical delegation from the United Nations arrived in Iraq to make a comprehensive survey of the eight so-called presidential sites which are the focus of the conflict. The function of the UN team is to determine the boundary of the sites and the buildings they contain.

Several Arab states also sent delegations to Baghdad in a show of support for the Iraqi people. Among these delegations is one from the state of Qatar which brought supplies of medicine with it. This, while Iraqi volunteers prepare and practice civil defense operations in case a war breaks out.

But the most important announcement came from Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Said al-Sahaf stating that Kofi Annan, the United Nations' secretary-general, will arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday within diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. This is seen by many as a positive event since Annan showed unwillingness to travel to Iraq unless there was a chance of success for his mission, which is being supported by the Russians, and called for by Iraq.

The situation as it stands is non-resolved with the best hopes pinned on Annan's visit. The US rejected beforehand the Russian diplomatic efforts if they are not in full conformity with the UN resolutions on Iraq with respect to the inspection efforts, with US Secretary of Defense Cohen saying that "I have seen no proposal" that is acceptable yet.

Sandy Berger, the US National Security Advisor put a time frame on US expectations for the resolution of this problem stating that the time is "not measured in days but it also is not measured in months," referring to when the US may feel it has exhausted diplomatic efforts, and may see a need for use of military force.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq's Sahaf reiterates Iraqi inspection proposal   (2/14/1998)
  Diplomats in Russia - France - China on Iraq   (2/14/1998)

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