Iraq expects division in its favor inside UN
Chairman of the Iraqi National Council, Saadoun Hammadi, on Thursday said he expected a division to take place inside the UN Security Council in favor of Iraq.
In an interview with the United Arab Emirates' Gulf daily, Hammadi said he expected the division to take place inside the UN Security Council itself as several of its members have shown sympathy with Iraq.
He stressed that Iraq's demands are just and reasonable, concentrating on means of making the work of UNSCOM more objective. He stated that the current UNSCOM configuration is made up of 65% US and British personnel, a matter which does not make it neutral. He said Iraq is ready to fully explain to the UN the "real" situation.
On August 5, Iraq decided to suspend its cooperation with UNSCOM. It called for changing the special commission's composition and headquarters to place it beyond the influence of the US. On Thursday, the UN secretary-general's special envoy, Prakash Shah, arrived in Baghdad in an attempt to settle the recent crisis that erupted between the Iraqi government and UNSCOM.
An Iraqi source who refused to be identified said that Shah will meet with Iraqi deputy Premier Tareq Aziz and will deliver him a message calling upon the Iraqi government to give up its decision to suspend cooperation with UNSCOM and with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
In another development the Iraqi dailies al-Thawra and al-Qadiseyah on Thursday called upon the UN to replace UNSCOM chairman Richard Butler. They accused the UN inspectors of slanting their work in the service of the policy pursued by the US.
Also, the Iraqi Journalists Union described UNSCOM's work as aiming at prolonging the sanctions against Iraq through fabricating crises and deceiving the international community. It added that this comes at the directives of the US, Britain and the Zionist Lobby.
Meanwhile, a report by the Washington Post said that the US has attempted to interfere with the work of the UN inspection commission in Iraq. The report stated that the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright phoned UNSCOM Chairman Richard Butler requesting that he not use "challenge inspections" that is annoying Iraq.
The Washington Post report said that "After a second high-level caution from Washington last Friday, Butler canceled the special inspection and ordered his team to leave Baghdad," adding "The disclosure was made yesterday by officials who regarded the abandoned leads as the most promising in years and objected to what they described as the American role in squelching them."
This report however seems to be in direct opposition of what has been a stated US position. There is talk of the need to replace Butler who is seen as being too aggressive and pursuing US policy as stated by Iraq. It is unclear how this report if true will effect the ongoing negotiations between the UN and Iraq.
Today, Secretary Albright denied the Washington Post report saying that "we consult with him (Butler) but he takes instructions from no one." Albright said "we fully support UNSCOM's right to decide when, where and how..to do inspections." But this report and the denial may give added credibility to the Iraqi claims of US interference in the work of the UN commission that is supposed to be independent, even with US claims that the phone calls were for consultation as other UN Security Council members do too.