The Hindu : Iraq: Final preparations for war on

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2003

International

International

Iraq: Final preparations for war on

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA (BAHRAIN) Feb. 4. Israel and the United States today tested Patriot missiles on Israeli soil as part of a final phase of preparations for a war against Iraq even as Iraq's key neighbours stepped up efforts to forge a durable relationship with the European Union (E.U.).

About 10 to 14 Patriot missiles were tested in a simulated exercise in the Negev desert. Israel apprehends that once a military showdown with Iraq begins, Baghdad may not hesitate to attack it with Scud missiles tipped with chemical warheads.

Israel has recently imported improved Patriot missiles as the earlier version of these weapons deployed in 1991 proved largely ineffective. Iraq had fired 39 Scud missiles on Israel during the first Gulf War.

As the possibilities of war increase, Iraq's neighbouring countries, apprehending that the war will lead to an entrenchment of pax-Americana in the region, are beginning to look at the possibility of the E.U. emerging as a future ally.

Iran's President, Mohammad Khatami, hosted the E.U.'s External Affairs Commissioner, Chris Patten, in Teheran on Tuesday.

Though Iraq is one of the key issues being discussed in Teheran, the two sides are looking at positioning an institutional framework that will define their long-term political and economic relationship. Mr. Patten has reportedly called for forging strategic ties with Iran and has pointed out that it would be a mistake to exclude Iran from shaping the global agenda.

The six Persian Gulf states that are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are also looking at cultivating the E.U. more keenly. Qatar has invited the Foreign Ministers of France, Belgium, Spain and Luxembourg to participate in what would amount to a Euro-GCC dialogue on March 3. Responding to the overtures from several West Asian countries and faced with the difficulties it is encountering with the U.S., the E.U. has also begun to signal that it is open to exploring the possibility of forging an E.U.-Arab front, focused on averting a war.

The E.U., for instance, said on Tuesday that it was considering whether to join a possible Arab peace mission to Baghdad to tell the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, that he must comply with U.N. resolutions on disarmament. The Foreign Minister of Greece, George Papandreou, the current E.U. President, when asked by reporters in Beirut on Tuesday whether the E.U. would be ready to join an Arab peace mission, said: "We have talked about the possibility of whether the envoys should be Arabs or the E.U. and Arabs. No decision has been taken yet.'' He also said the Arab League would hold its annual summit in late February or early March, rather than late March as scheduled.

Earlier, the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, on whom Mr. Papandreou had called during his stay in Damascus, had stressed the importance of enhancing European cooperation with Iraq's neighbouring states for reaching a peaceful solution to the crisis.

Meanwhile, there are reports about the departure of some of diplomats from the Iraqi capital.

The Polish embassy in Baghdad announced that it was closing its U.S. interests section that was the only manifestation of Washington's diplomatic presence in Iraq since 1991.

Analysts find Poland as being Washington's trusted ally in Baghdad till now as significant, as it indicates Washington's deepening ties with the Eastern and Central Europe.

Hungary, Poland's neighbour, is reportedly imparting military training to Iraqi exiles and Bulgaria has already pledged full support to Washington over Iraq.

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