Annan denies intervention to settle new crisis in Iraq
Iraq-UN, Politics, 8/21/1998

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has denied refusing the US request to intervene in settling the new crisis with Iraq. Spokesman for the UN Fred Eckhard said Annan did not in any forum express the views attributed to him in this regard.

The US Washington Post and Los Angeles Times dailies reported that Annan thinks the US seeks to avoid unwanted military confrontation with Iraq before the congressional elections in November. Diplomats said that Annan does not want to take any fundamental initiatives in the meantime without strong support from the 15 UN Security Council member states.

On Wednesday UNSCOM chief Richard Butler sent a message to the Iraqi authorities calling on Iraq to resume cooperation with the inspection team. UN Security Council sources said the message does not have a warning to Iraq, it rather clarifies that the UN does not seek confrontation with Iraq.

This message, which was addressed to the Iraqi deputy Premier Tareq Aziz, came following discussions held earlier this week at the UN Security Council. The discussions did not result in strong support for the chairman of UNSCOM. For his part, the Iraqi deputy Premier Tareq Aziz said he received a message from Butler in which the latter asks Iraq to coopreate in resuming all the committee's activities in Baghdad.

Aziz said Iraq's decision is firm and will not be changed until the UN Security Council reviews Iraqi's legitimate demands stated in its statement released on August 5. The statement had raised many issues including US control of the UN Security Council and accused the Chairman of UNSCOM Richard Butler of implementing anti-Iraq US policy, the statement said.

Previous Stories:
  Annan to mediate Iraq - UN dispute as military option is hinted at   (8/20/1998)
  Iraq: Butler is an agent of US policy   (8/15/1998)
  Iraq expects division in its favor inside UN   (8/14/1998)

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