Bush Administration Policy at Work
Turkey is reportedly now requesting $50b for their "loyalty".
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U.S. Military Planning Hits Snag in Turkey
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By Ayla Jean Yackley and Nadim Ladki
ANKARA, Turkey/BAGHDAD, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. preparations for war with Iraq suffered a setback Tuesday when Turkey dug in its heels in negotiations over its role as a launch pad for an invasion.
Reuters
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Washington and London braced for another battle at the United Nations (news - web sites) while close U.S. ally Saudi Arabia warned them that bypassing the world body would make military action against Iraq look like a "war of aggression."
U.N. weapons inspectors confirmed that a U-2 surveillance plane had flown its first mission over Iraq, the latest sign of increased cooperation by Baghdad with U.N. efforts to ensure it no longer has banned weapons without resorting to war.
Iraq agreed to the U-2 and other overflights last week under intense pressure. It had previously said it could not guarantee the safety of the aircraft while U.S. and British war planes patrolled "no-fly" zones in the north and south of the country.
It also agreed to private interviews with Iraqi scientists, although the inspectors said Tuesday new problems had arisen when many scientists insisted their statements were recorded.
Iraqi concessions have deepened misgivings about military action among some European nations and made it more difficult for the United States to win international backing for war.
EU ROWS CONTINUE
Amid a huge U.S. and British build-up toward some 250,000 troops in the Gulf by early March for possible war against Iraq, the EU has been bitterly divided for a month, trading barbs and issuing rival statements and open letters.
EU leaders said an emergency summit Monday had helped them put their divisions behind them but a new row broke out over a demand by French President Jacques Chirac for east European EU hopefuls to mute their backing for U.S. policy.
Further complicating military planning, Turkey warned Washington Tuesday not to assume it would allow tens of thousands of U.S. troops to strike at Iraq from its territory.
Turkey has permitted U.S. engineers to upgrade bases and sea ports, and Washington had expected parliament to open the military facilities to U.S. soldiers during a Tuesday vote.
But Turkish political leaders have said that will have to wait until agreement is reached on billions of dollars in U.S. aid and the role Turkey's army could play in any war.
Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said the government would go to parliament only when Washington met Turkish demands.
"When conditions are fulfilled we are prepared to present it in the shortest possible time," Yakis told reporters.
If Ankara drags its feet, U.S. military planners could go ahead without a northern front. But a move on Iraq from Turkey would relieve a main invasion into the south and could shorten any war and reduce American casualties.
Aircraft taking part in U.S.-British patrols over "no-fly" zones in Iraq launched their seventh strike in 10 days overnight and Baghdad made a fresh attempt to avert an invasion by calling for an Arab boycott against the United States.
"Arab countries must take the necessary measures to protect their dignity using the vast resources of this region, starting with oil, the world's lifeblood, and the ports and airports of the region which are vital for global trade," Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri told Saudi-owned daily Asharq al Awsat.
Arab nations have shown no sign of being prepared to take such steps, although they have made clear their opposition to a conflict.
SAUDI WARNING
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal issued a stern warning to Washington not to try to disarm Iraq without U.N. backing, saying this would be seen as aggression.
"We have told them war would be a tremendous threat to the region especially if it doesn't come through U.N. authority -- it would be a dangerous thing to do," he told the BBC in an interview broadcast Tuesday.
Prominent Saudis and Western diplomats said the 50-year-old alliance between Saudi Arabia and the United States may come under severe strain if Washington decides to launch a unilateral military attack on Iraq.
The U.S. military said jets taking part in U.S.-British patrols over Iraqi "no-fly" zones used guided weapons to attack a mobile Iraqi air defense radar Monday night.
It was part of a process widely seen as limiting Iraq's military capabilities ahead of a possible invasion.
Hero Ueki, spokesman for the inspectors, confirmed Tuesday that an Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement announcing the first U-2 overflight and indicated more flights were set soon, meeting a key U.N. demand.
But he reported slow progress on another demand, saying experts with the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, or UNMOVIC, had so far interviewed only three scientists privately.
Many other scientists had agreed to be questioned alone but had demanded the interviews be recorded -- terms he said were rejected by UNMOVIC but allowed by the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, which had recorded five interviews.
The U.S. and Britain were working on a new U.N. resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, but no draft is expected to emerge before Wednesday after a public debate by countries without seats on the 15-member Security Council.
The meeting, due to begin at 3 p.m., was expected to turn into another forum against U.S. war plans.
It was requested by South Africa, current chair of the 115-nation Non-Aligned Movement of developing countries, whose members strongly oppose war.
"We have no military or financial strength, but we can join the world movement to oppose war on moral grounds," said Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who takes over leadership of the non-aligned movement next week. |
