Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: maceng2 who wrote (50947)	10/12/2002 2:15:10 PM
From: maceng2	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

Russian leader snubs Blair over Iraq From Tom Baldwin in Moscow and Richard Beeston, Diplomatic Editor timesonline.co.uk PRESIDENT PUTIN of Russia yesterday scorned Tony Blair’s claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and told him that Britain and America had failed to produce “trustworthy” evidence to justify immediate military action. Mr Putin did promise to consider a fresh United Nations resolution on weapons inspections in Iraq, but this fell far short of the “ultimatum” to Saddam Hussein that the Prime Minister had hoped to secure from Mr Putin during his 24-hour trip to Moscow. A Russian Foreign Ministry official said later that his Government would not accept any US proposal for a UN resolution authorising military force in Iraq. The Prime Minister returned to London last night insisting that his talks with Mr Putin had made progress by establishing that Russia agreed with America and Britain on “the key point” that UN weapons inspectors must be allowed into Iraq. Aides said that this would be the basis for forthcoming negotiations at the UN Security Council. But in a joint press conference at the Russian President’s dacha north of Moscow, Mr Putin described Britain’s dossier on the threat posed by Saddam as “propagandist”. He said: “Russia does not have any trustworthy data which would support the existence of nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. We have not yet received from our partners any such information.” Mr Putin noted that Saddam had conceded that weapons inspectors could return to Iraq but acknowledged his past flouting of UN resolutions and genuine fears that he could be developing weapons of mass destruction. Russia would work with the Security Council to do “whatever it takes” to prevent Saddam achieving such a goal, he said. “We do not exclude the possibility of coming up with a co-ordinated decision which may include the possible adoption of new UN resolutions.” But he added that there were no “formal real grounds” for a fresh resolution, saying that “fears (about Saddam’s arsenal) are one thing but hard facts are another”. Mr Blair had been optimistic about persuading Mr Putin to accept a UN ultimatum threatening military action if weapons inspectors were not allowed unrestricted access. Russia, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has the power to veto such a resolution. British officials suggested yesterday that Mr Putin might be leaning towards the “two-stage” plan favoured by the French, under which the UN would first pass a resolution on weapons inspections and only if this was ignored consider a further resolution and the use of military force.