Iraq blames the US, the US blames Iraq

With the US threats and a reported military build up by the US and Iraqi troops dispersing their positions (a defensive position) according to the Pentagon spokesman, US army Chief of Staff Gen. Henry Shelton said yesterday that the American military bases in the Gulf are ready and able to strike Iraq if ordered to do so.

Shelton added that the US will not send a final warning to Iraq before directing a possible military strike. He continued that the US President Bill Clinton has fully realized that "we have in the Gulf forces which are ready and capable of attacking Iraq" he told ABC TV news.

This was the subject of Iraq's remarks today presented by Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz who questioned who authorized the US to strike Iraq saying "is that international law or sheer aggression, aggression by criminals?"

Aziz said that Iraq has complied with the UN resolutions and UNSCOM "has not detected any serious violations after seven and half years." Aziz defended Iraqi compliance and said that the US is the sole country obstructing the certification of Iraq as having complied with UN resolutions by using UNSCOM as its tool which he accused of being an agent of the CIA and the Israeli Mossad.

Aziz said that "if the US is sincere then why have they blocked the comprehensive review?" adding "who is blocking the way towards sincere cooperation? it is 'he' (Clinton) and not the president of Iraq."

Aziz questioned why the US Congress is funding Iraqi opposition saying "why do they finance subversion" and questioned whether the sanctions will be lifted as long as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein is in power, a reference to the US policy of keeping Iraq "boxed" under a containment policy that the US pursues in relation to Iraq and Iran. Aziz said "we need to see the light at the end of the tunnel, ...but all we see is another tunnel after the tunnel," referring to Iraqi belief that the US has no intention of seeing the sanctions lifted of Iraq.

Aziz said "if he (Clinton) is ready to change course.. and respect resolution 687 (calling for sanctions review and lifting the sanctions)", then there will be a solution otherwise "if the crisis is going to escalate into an aggression, than it will be their decision and not Iraq's," explaining that as far as Iraq is concerned "war means destruction of material and death of people" and "for the Iraqis, it makes no difference as to how we die, by sanctions or by bombs."

Aziz said he would consider mediation by the UN Chief Kofi Annan. But Iraq was insistent that it is not changing its mind unless the "US is ready to change course" to which the US today replied through White House Spokesman Joe Lockhart saying that "he (Saddam) needs to reverse course."

Lockhart said today "there is nothing to negotiate..the international community has sent a clear message.. the question is whether (Iraq) will hear this."

Lockhart said "he (Saddam) needs to reverse course and allow UNSCOM to do the work they need to do." He and US State Department spokesman James Rubin accused Iraq of "desperately trying to shift the blame from its shoulders to the United States," and said "what they need to do is to come back into compliance, that is the easy way." Rubin added that "no amount of polemic or attempts to shift blame will help it."

Referring as to whether there is a deadline as to when Iraq has to comply, Lockhart said "we are not getting into time lines .. or deadlines, but this cannot go on indefinitely."

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan who brokered a deal during the last crisis between the UN and Iraq has cut his African trip short to return to New York.