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Politics : Impeach George W. Bush -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Thomas M. who wrote (15396)	10/10/2002 1:34:56 PM
From: jlallen	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 93284

You are naive...

To: Thomas M. who wrote (15396)	10/10/2002 6:07:51 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 93284

If we attack Iraq w/ UN, we have to barter concessions in exchange for Security Council approval. You are absolutely right... Russia wants a piece of the action ~ Moscow names price to back campaign By George Trefgarne, Julius Strauss in Moscow and Andrew Sparrow Message 18099509 *A senior Kremlin official indicated yesterday that Russia would demand a high price* for its support in the campaign against Iraq but that it would not ultimately stand in America's way.** With Tony Blair due in Moscow this afternoon, the Kremlin's senior spokesman said Russia would adopt a "pragmatic" position over Iraq, shorthand for a demand that it must receive substantial financial compensation. Briefing western journalists, Sergei Yastrzhembsky, President Vladimir Putin's official spokesman, said: "The devil will be in the details of these [United Nations] resolutions but our position is essentially pragmatic. What is interesting for us is our economic and financial interests." France also moved closer to accepting the inevitability of war in Iraq yesterday, while continuing to criticise America for its hawkish stance. Following a parliamentary debate on Iraq on Tuesday evening, the French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, said France would not use its Security Council veto because that would deprive it of its influence. While France still appeared wedded to its insistence that there must be two UN resolutions on Iraq, it was not clear whether Russia would maintain a similar stance. Under the French proposal, the first resolution would instruct Saddam Hussein to admit inspectors to destroy his weapons of mass destruction and the second would authorise force if he obstructed their work. Britain and America would prefer a single tough resolution. In a BBC interview last night, the Prime Minister played down suggestions that Mr Putin would be demanding huge financial guarantees in return for offering his support in a war against Iraq. "Obviously, there are interests that Russia has in this issue but I don't think it's a question of price tags," Mr Blair said. "It's a question of making sure that we do this in such a way that the world is made a safer place, that Iraq can develop and that the interests of everybody, including Russia, are taken account of." Nonetheless, Mr Yastrzhembsky said the Kremlin's policy on Iraq was driven by economic concerns. At the heart of Russia's fears are the effects that a war in Iraq might have on the price of oil. Moscow, which relies on oil for half its external income, fears that if Saddam is deposed, America may attempt to flood the market with cheap Iraqi oil to bolster its own economy. Economists say that for Russia, still battling with the huge costs of economic restructuring, a steep fall in the oil price could provoke financial disaster. Mr Yastrzhembsky said: "We are heavily dependent on world oil prices and it is difficult to anticipate the consequence of an attack on Iraq." The price of oil, currently at $29 a barrel, is widely expected to fall if Washington launches a successful war on Iraq. Mr Yastrzhembsky said Russia could cope with a fall in price to $18 a barrel but not any lower. Moscow said it will also be looking for guarantees that Russian companies would be able to keep valuable oilfields in western Iraq if Saddam is deposed.

To: Thomas M. who wrote (15396)	10/10/2002 9:59:03 PM
From: Brumar89	Respond to of 93284

That's the main reason why Bush doesn't want to attack via the UN. Bush would be delighted with UN support for an attack on Iraq. That's why he gave the speech before the UN not too long ago. I believe I read recently that the US has assured Russian oil companies that the US favors their contracts to develop Iraqi reserves would be honored by any future Iraqi government. BTW the Iraqi contracts with French, Russian and Chinese companies are for the development of oil fields not being produced. They don't speak to Iraq's present output.