The Hindu : Iraq rejects British draft

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 14, 2003

Front Page

Front Page

Iraq rejects British draft

By Atul Aneja

MANAMA (Bahrain) March 13. Iraq has rejected a compromise proposal by Britain in the United Nations and described it as "an attempt to beautify a rejected aggressive project".

Iraq's Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri, told reporters in Baghdad that the British draft that set out six benchmarks to be met by Iraq to avert a conflict as an effort to "polish" an "aggressive project" that the majority of the Security Council members had already rejected.

Mr. Sabri also said that a five-nation Arab League delegation's scheduled visit to Baghdad had been cancelled. Analysts say that the Arab countries comprising Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Bahrain and Tunisia, are deeply divided on the message that they should convey to the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, when they meet him. Syria and Lebanon are opposed to urging Saddam Hussein to step down. Key Persian Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait however favour that he go into voluntary exile to avert a war. Mr. Sabri clarified that Iraq had not rejected the visit.

The former Lebanese President, Amin Gemayel, who is known to be close to the U.S. Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, and acquainted with the Iraqi President for years has said that he had been in frequent touch with Mr. Hussein. He, however, clarified that he had been contacting Mr. Hussein, as late as Monday, in his personal capacity, to avert a war and was not mediating on behalf of anyone else. Media reports suggest that Mr. Gemayel has been a back-channel contact between Europe and the United States and Mr. Hussein.

Mr. Sabri said the U.S. was persisting with seeking a Security Council resolution on Iraq, as it wanted an "international cover for its war.

While diplomacy is in full swing at the Untied Nations, the U.S. appears to have intensified its psychological warfare in Iraq. Its Air Force dropped 1.2 lakh leaflets over several locations between Baghdad and the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

According to the U.S. Central Command, the messages include a warning to the Iraqi military not to use chemical or biological weapons against the U.S. and its partner forces.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page

Stories in this Section

Declaration of assets, antecedents must: SC

All-party meet to discuss verdict

12 killed in Mumbai train blast

Iraq rejects British draft

Review committee to check misuse of POTA

Bonds offer

Pak. arrests 36 fishermen

2 killed in Rajouri blast

Marandi Govt. loses majority