Top UN experts start Iraq talks, U.S. rebukes allies
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By Hassan Hafidh
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Top U.N. weapons inspectors began crucial disarmament talks in Iraq on Saturday as the United States, sharply rebuking reluctant European allies, insisted that momentum must be maintained for a war against Baghdad.
Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei opened two days of talks with Iraqi officials after flying in to Baghdad from Cyprus as they prepared to present a fresh report to the Security Council on Friday that could start a countdown to war.
In Germany, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a security conference that the world was serious about disarming Baghdad. He rounded on France, Germany and Belgium for "inexcusable" stalling of NATO moves to protect Turkey from any war in its neighbour Iraq.
Apparently undeterred, Germany announced a new Franco-German initiative to try to avert military conflict after a magazine reported it involved sending thousands of U.N. peace-keeping troops to Iraq and trebling the number of arms inspectors.
But U.S. President George W. Bush appeareed to be preparing his nation for war in a radio address: "The United States, along with a growing coalition of nations, will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves and disarm the Iraqi regime."
Chief arms inspector Blix said he was "hopeful for success" as he and ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, began a first round of talks at the Foreign Ministry. They have warned Iraq it must take drastic steps to avert a U.S.-led war to rid it of alleged weapons of mass destruction.
"No one wants war. War is never a first or an easy choice. But the risks of war need to be balanced against the risks of doing nothing while Iraq pursues weapons of mass destruction," Rumsfeld told the conference in the south German city of Munich.
"Clearly, momentum is building, momentum that sends a critically important message to the Iraqi regime -- about our seriousness of purpose and the world's determination that Iraq disarm.
"This is not months or years, this is days or weeks we're going to know whether they are going to cooperate," he said.
"He (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) has not been contained, he is successfully getting into that country darn near everything he wants."
DEEP U.S.-EUROPEAN DIVISIONS
Laying bare deep U.S.-European divisions over Iraq, Rumsfeld said NATO's failure to agree on planning defence measures for alliance member Turkey risked undermining NATO's credibility.
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer of Germany, a firm opponent of war on Iraq, replied by insisting that peace should be given a chance. He said Berlin stood by NATO obligations but wanted to wait until after the U.N. inspectors' report.
Confirming the Franco-German peace initiative, a German government spokesman said: "I can confirm that there are joint considerations on finding a peaceful alternative to a military solution to the Iraq conflict." He gave no details.
A report by news magazine Der Spiegel said the plan for U.N. troops to enforce disarmament was to be put to the Security Council. It would also involve stricter rules on exports to Iraq and an agreement with Iraq's neighbours to stop oil smuggling.
French Defence Minister Marie Alliot-Marie said in Munich that Paris had never ruled out military action to disarm Iraq, but it would have to be a last resort.
Amid the diplomatic moves for peace, Pope John Paul urged the world not to resign itself to war, declaring:
"We have to multiply efforts. We can't stop when faced with either terror attacks or the threats that are on the horizon. We should never resign ourselves, almost as if war is inevitable."
SPY FLIGHTS
As Blix and ElBaradei arrived in Iraq, thousands of armed Iraqi volunteers, some wearing gas masks, paraded in the city of Tikrit, Saddam's birthplace 175 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.
Bush has said the United Nations must soon decide whether to back America's demand that Iraq abandon its alleged chemical, biological and nuclear programmes or be disarmed by force. Iraq denies having any such weapons.
Blix and ElBaradei said on Friday that securing private interviews with Iraqi scientists -- to protect informers from reprisals -- and spy plane flights were on their agenda.
Iraq has refused to allow U2 spy planes to fly over its territory, which the United States says are needed to monitor sites it alleges are being demolished or doctored by Iraq.
Iraq made some concessions by letting inspectors hold four private interviews with Iraqi scientists on Thursday and Friday.
Blix has warned Baghdad that inspections can only work with "active cooperation from Iraq, not on process but on substance". ElBaradei has called for a meeting with Saddam.
Babel, Iraq's most influential newspaper, said Baghdad would do its best to make the visit a success.
Amid a huge U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, Bush has said he would welcome a new U.N. resolution after one in November that warned of serious consequences if Iraq failed to comply.
Diplomats said a new Security Council resolution seeking international legitimacy for war may not include a deadline for Saddam to comply, or explicitly authorise force. |
