Arabic News Weekly Edition for Iraq, 2/24/2003
Weekly Edition, Iraq - Week of February 24, 2003
- Arab ministers reject Powell's proposal on Saddam to quit
The Arab foreign ministers yesterday rejected proposals by the US secretary of state Colin Powell on that their leaders urge the Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to resign. Regional-Iraq, Politics, 3/1/2003 - Saddam Hussein's views on the crisis in CBS interview
We are committed to dealing and implementing Resolution 1441 as demanded by the United Nations. It is on this basis that we have acted and shall continue to act. As you know, Iraq is allowed under UN resolutions, to develop land-to-land missiles of a range of 150 kilometers. And we are committed to complying to these specifications. We have no missiles exceeding this range, and the inspection teams have searched everywhere. Indeed I think you should seek an answer to this question from them. Iraq, Politics, 3/1/2003 - Iraqi opposition elects a leading commission composed of 6 figures
The correspondent of the Qatari al- Jazira TV station in Northern Iraq reported that the follow up and coordination committee of the Iraqi opposition, currently meeting at Salah Eddine resort near Irbil elected a leading commission composed of 6 members in charge of running the Iraqi affairs in the phase after Saddam Hussein, and preparations for forming a provisional government Iraq, Politics, 3/1/2003 - Iraq's promised missile destruction 'very significant, real disarmament', Blix
Iraq's promised destruction of its Al Samoud 2 missiles is "a very significant piece of real disarmament," chief United Nations weapons inspector Hans Blix said yesterday, as a written report by UN monitors on the inspection process was distributed to Security Council members late Friday. Iraq-UN, Politics, 3/1/2003 - Germany wants Blix to define key remaining disarmament tasks Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/28/2003
- BBC: Turkey al-Faisal: we will not support the war without a new UN resolution Saudi Arabia-Iraq, Politics, 2/28/2003
- Mexico rejects US position on Iraq Iraq-Mexico, Politics, 2/28/2003
- Arab FM s preparatory meeting in Sharm esh Sheikh
Arab Foreign Ministers held yesterday in Sharm esh Sheikh, Egypt a consultative meeting in preparation for the 15th ordinary Arab Summit which will be held on Saturday. Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/28/2003 - Iraqi opposition says it is difficult to run Iraq without it
The Iraqi opposition conference yesterday continued its work in the Salah eddine town in Irbil province to north Iraq. Iraq, Politics, 2/28/2003 - Iraq agrees in principle to UN demand to destroy missiles
Iraq agreed in principle yesterday to a United Nations demand to destroy its Al Samoud 2 missiles, the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) announced late Thursday in New York. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/28/2003 - UN weapons inspectors make first Mirage IV surveillance flight in Iraq
United Nations weapons inspectors have carried out their first Mirage IV surveillance operation in Iraq, adding a second element to their air inspections that already include U-2 flights. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/28/2003 - Kurdistan: seven persons killed in a missile explosion
Iraq said yesterday that seven persons were killed at least and others were wounded near al-Mousel after an Iraqi missile supposed to be fired against the coalition planes exploded. Iraq, Local, 2/28/2003 - Wahbeh outlines Syria's position on Iraq
Syria's Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Mikhail Wahbeh has indicated that the non-permanent group of ten at the Security Council have stressed their opposition to the US.war against Iraq because of its dangerous repercussions to the region. Syria-Iraq, Politics, 2/27/2003 - Iraqi opposition members send a message the Arab Summit
In a message they addressed yesterday to the Arab summit due on March 1st at Sharm esh Sheikh resort to the east of Egypt, Iraqi opposition members called for supporting the establishment of "a provisional Iraqi leadership in collaboration with the UN," stressing their rejection of the foreign occupation of Iraq if the regime of Saddam Hussein is toppled. Iraq-Regional, Politics, 2/27/2003 - Salah Eddine meeting learns about the American plans from Zalmai
The Iraqi opposition figures yesterday in Salah Eddine, near Irbil, directly learned what it did not want to hear from the Americans on that there will be an American military ruler to Baghdad and that the new ruler will cooperate after the presumed collapse of Saddam Hussein, with members of the ruling Baath Party. Iraq-USA, Politics, 2/27/2003 - On Turkey's vote on US forces Iraq-Turkey, Politics, 2/27/2003
- UN inspectors resume destroying Iraqi mustard shells, visit biological arms site
United Nations weapons teams inspected missile, chemical, medical and nuclear-related sites across Iraq yesterday, resuming the destruction of mustard-filled artillery shells and checking for the third day running a site where Iraq says it destroyed bombs filled with biological agents. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/27/2003 - Frimia Novosti: Sahhaf denies Hussein's political asylum seeking to Russia
The Iraqi minister of information Muhammad al-Sahhaf has denied the possibility that former Russian prime minister Yegveni Primakov had discussed during his visit to Baghdad last Sunday with the Iraqi leadership the possibility of giving political asylum for the Iraq President Saddam Hussein. Iraq-Russia, Politics, 2/26/2003 - Baghdad denies an explosion at an oil field in Karkouk
Iraq announced yesterday that an accidental fire took place yesterday in an oil field in the northern city of Karkouk, and thereby denying news which was reported by passengers of an explosion resulting from a "damaging act." Iraq, Local, 2/26/2003 - Turkish concerns over recent developments in the region Turkey-Iraq, Politics, 2/26/2003
- New Iraqi disarmament letters have 'some positive elements', Blix
United Nations disarmament official Hans Blix said yesterday he has received new letters from Iraq containing some "positive elements" for his search for evidence of banned weapons of mass destruction, but cautioned that the correspondence needs to be explored further. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/26/2003 - The Vatican: war against Iraq is a crime against peace
The Vatican papal nuncio, Jan Loi Toran, has stated that launching a war against Iraq without the consent of the UN will be "a crime against peace." Iraq-Vatican, Politics, 2/25/2003 - CBS: Saddam: we will not destroy al-Somoud Missiles
The Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced yesterday in an interview with CBS news that he does not intend to destroy al- Somoud missiles, as asked to do by the UN chief weapons inspector. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Kuwaiti defense minister denies Iraqi military build up near the Kuwaiti borders Kuwait-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003
- 100,000 Moroccans protesters of war threats against Iraq
Some 100,000 Moroccans took to the streets Sunday in downtown Rabat, Morocco's capital city, to protest war threats against Iraq. Morocco-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Inter-Arab developments over Iraqi request to postpone summit
Differences have surfaced once again among the Arab states concerning the convening of the Arab summit which will concentrate on the Iraqi crisis. After Baghdad had asked for the postponement of the meeting set for March 1st, the Egyptian information minister Safwat al-Sharif said that the Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stressed that the Arab summit will be held at its set date on Saturday in Sharm esh Sheikh. Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Jordanian king calls for settling crisis under the UN umbrella
During his meeting yesterday with a delegation representing the US Congress visiting Jordan, the Jordanian King has stressed the need of settling the Iraqi crisis peacefully and under the "umbrella of the UN." Jordan-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Khaddam outlines Syria's position in an interview with AP
Syria's Vice President Abdul-Halim Khaddam renewed Syria's opposition to a new international resolution the United States is looking for introducing to the UN Security Council which may justify using force against Iraq Syria-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Arab Bar Association concludes meetings in Cairo
The statement calls on the Arab states to boycott the diplomatic, trade and cultural relations with the United States, Britain and Israel and to close all the bases, airports and ports in front of America and its alliances. Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Two plans presented to Security Council for next steps regarding Iraq
The Security Council yesterday was presented with two plans on how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, with one calling for bulked up and continued inspections by the United Nations while the other would find that Iraq has failed to take the "final opportunity" afforded to it in resolution 1441. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/25/2003 - Baghdad: war will obstruct trade agreements with the Arab states
The Iraqi trade minister Muhammad Mahdi Saleh has added a new dimension for the risks of any American war against Iraq, when he indicated yesterday the possibility that war will result in canceling all trade agreements finalized by Baghdad with the Arab states. Iraq-Regional, Economics, 2/25/2003 - United Nations inspectors board to meet Blix Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/25/2003
- Khaddam confers with Iraqi vice president Iraq-Syria, Politics, 2/24/2003
- Egyptian police ban thousands of lawyers from demonstration supporting Iraq
Worthy mentioning that the emergency law applied in Egypt since 1981 bans demonstrations and massive aggregations Egypt-Iraq, Politics, 2/24/2003 - Iraq asks for postponing summit, Lebanon agrees under conditions
Iraq on Sunday asked for the postponement of the Arab summit until the mid of March because of the preoccupation of the Iraqi officials with the next session of the UN Security Council, while Lebanon has set a precondition of the summit's commitment to the recent resolutions of the recent Arab Beirut summit and those of the recent meeting of the Arab foreign ministers. Regional-Iraq, Politics, 2/24/2003 - Virtual anti Iraq war march in Washington Iraq-USA, Politics, 2/24/2003
- Der Spiegel: UN chief inspector does not rule out quitting in protest of US undermining the UN
International agency for Atomic Energy Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei remarked that he might resign from his post if war against Iraq starts without an authorizations by the UN Security Council. Iraq-UN, Politics, 2/24/2003 - Non aligned summit' rejects war against Iraq
Heads of Non- Aligned Movement Summit issued yesterday a statement in Kuala Lumpur stressing their concern over the critical and deteriorating situation in the region due to the American threat of waging a war against Iraq that would destabilize the region and the world as a whole on all levels. Iraq-Regional, Politics, 2/24/2003