Iraq Agrees to Destroy Missiles; Bush Sees Deception (Update3)
By Bill Varner
United Nations, Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Iraq agreed to destroy ballistic missiles that violate United Nations mandates, saying it's taking that step two days before a UN-imposed deadline in an effort to ``avoid war'' with the U.S.
Chief UN arms inspector Hans Blix received a faxed letter from Amir al-Saadi, a senior adviser to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, saying the country ``in principle, accepts the request for the destruction of the missiles and other items,'' according to a statement released by the UN.
U.S. President George W. Bush earlier dismissed any such pledge by Iraq to dismantle its Al Samoud-2 missiles, saying it would be part of a ``campaign of deception.''
``The only question at hand is total, complete disarmament, which (Hussein) is refusing to do,'' Bush said. The U.S. and the U.K. have deployed about 225,000 troops in the Persian Gulf.
Still, for now the move may strengthen the hand of France, Germany and other Security Council members that oppose military action, leaving the U.S. short of the nine votes needed to adopt a resolution declaring that Iraq has passed up its ``final opportunity'' to disarm.
The dollar rose against the yen and euro after Iraq delivered the letter on optimism that war may be averted.
Trigger for War
Most Security Council members consider the U.S.-backed resolution a trigger for war, and talks today produced further divisions.
Council members Chile and Mexico jointly endorsed a Canadian plan to delay UN action until March 31 in a bid for a compromise between the U.S., U.K. and Spain, which sponsored the resolution, and China, France and Russia, which want more arms inspections.
The 15-member council went ``around in circles'' during a three-hour meeting in which the ambassadors couldn't even agree on a date to hear next from top UN arms inspectors, including Blix, Russian Deputy Ambassador Gennady Gatilov said.
While the inspectors are still expected to report to the council next week, no date is likely to be set before Monday, diplomats said.
The Blix Report
The report that Blix will deliver to the council will say that Iraq's cooperation on substantive issues has been ``very limited so far,'' according to a copy of the draft obtained by Bloomberg News.
``During the period of time covered by this report, Iraq could have made greater efforts to find remaining proscribed items or credible evidence showing the absence of such items,'' the report will say.
The draft states that Iraq's Feb. 14 presidential decree banning weapons of mass destruction pertains only to private citizens and companies, rather than the government, and is thus ``not adequate'' to meet UN requirements.
``It is hard to understand'' why recent efforts to account for banned weapons were not made earlier, the report says.
Blix had ordered Iraq to begin by Saturday to destroy the Al Samoud missiles after determining that they violate the UN prohibition against rockets with a range greater than 150 kilometers (93 miles).
Iraqi officials have said production of 100 Al Samoud 2 missiles was under way and that 50 have been delivered to the Iraqi army, Agence France-Presse reported.
The UN statement tonight said inspectors would begin discussions with Iraqi authorities to clarify the acceptance and begin the elimination of the banned weapons.
`Avoid War'
Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed al-Douri said Iraq took the step to ``avoid war'' with the U.S.
``Iraq is cooperating fully with the UN,'' al-Douri said. ``We have cooperated from the beginning, and we are continuing to cooperate.''
In Washington, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Iraq's announcement ``doesn't change our view of the situation in the slightest.''
``Those missiles were prohibited in the first place,'' Powell said after a meeting with European Union leaders. ``It's just more indication of the reality that we have been trying to convey to the world that Saddam Hussein is trying to string it out, trying to divert attention, trying to pretend he is cooperating,'' he said.
The U.S. and U.K. will call on the Security Council to vote on their resolution in about two weeks, after Blix's report sometime next week.
Up to 11 Security Council members have said they support continued inspections.
U.S. war plans were given a boost when Turkey agreed to allow the Americans to use its bases for any attack on Iraq.
The Turkish government will permit 62,000 American ground troops, 255 warplanes and dozens of helicopters to use its territory for a second front in Iraq, Defense Minister Vecdi Gonul said. The parliament, which must ratify the accord, delayed a vote until Saturday as the government lobbied lawmakers.
In Iraq, the military began shifting toward the center of the country in preparation for war. Troops and gear from a Republican Guard division have started moving from the vicinity of Mosul in the north toward Baghdad, unidentified U.S. defense officials told Reuters. |
