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Politics : America Under Siege: The End of Innocence -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: lorne who wrote (21505)	2/17/2003 10:57:04 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27760

There are so many articles and commentaries, each way. Are they supporting Hussein or not? It's confusing!:) What is the latest info, and the "real deal?":)

To: lorne who wrote (21505)	2/17/2003 11:11:04 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27760

Monday, 17 February, 2003, 22:23 GMT Saudis warn US over Iraq war URL:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2773759.stm Saudi Arabia warns the US not to go it alone Saudi Arabia has warned the United States against a possible war against Iraq in an exclusive interview with the BBC. We think war is going to be a tremendous threat to the region... We think that, especially if it doesn't come through the United Nations' authority, that it would be a dangerous thing to do Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal has said that any unilateral military action by the US would appear as an "act of aggression". "Independent action in this, we don't believe is good for the United States," he told the BBC's world affairs editor John Simpson at a meeting of the Arab League foreign ministers in Cairo. "It would encourage people to think... that what they're doing is a war of aggression rather than a war for the implementation of the United Nations resolutions." But if the attack came through the United Nations Security Council, it would not be considered an aggression, he said. "So we are ardently... urging the United States to continue to work with the United Nations... and not to create an act of individual aggression, of individually taking charge of the duties of the Security Council." Regime change Regime change would lead to the destruction of Iraq, and would threaten to destabilise the entire Middle East region, Prince Saud said. If the choice is you destroy Iraq in order to get Saddam Hussein, it is a self-defeating policy, isn't it? I mean, you destroy a country to get a person out - it doesn't work Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal "If change of regime comes with the destruction of Iraq, then you are solving one problem and creating five more problems. "That is the consideration that we have to make, because we are living in the region. We will suffer the consequences of any military action." Regime change can only be a possibility if it is done "indigenously", he said. "There has never been in the history of the world a country in which a regime change happened at the bayonets of guns that has led to stability." The worry is rising fundamentalism in America and the West - not in the Middle East, he said. "Our worry is the new emerging fundamentalism in the United States and in the West. Fundamentalism in our region is on the wane. There, it's in the ascendancy. That's the threat." The full interview can be seen on BBC World from Wednesday and on Simpson's World on BBC News 24 this weekend (1130 GMT on Saturday, 0230 GMT on Sunday, 1430 GMT on Sunday, 0030 GMT on Monday).

To: lorne who wrote (21505)	2/17/2003 11:11:22 PM
From: calgal	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27760

Chirac blasts eastern Europeans over pro-American stance, warns on EU membership Mon Feb 17, 5:45 PM ET URL:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=524&u=/ap/20030217/ap_wo_en_po/eu_gen_eu_chirac_eastern_europe_1&printer=1 By PAUL AMES, Associated Press Writer BRUSSELS, Belgium - French President Jacques Chirac launched a withering attack Monday on eastern European nations who signed letters backing the U.S. position on Iraq, warning it could jeopardize their chances of joining the European Union (news - web sites). "It is not really responsible behavior," he told a news conference. "It is not well brought up behavior. They missed a good opportunity to keep quiet." Chirac was angered when EU candidates Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic joined pro-U.S. EU members such as Britain, Spain and Italy last month in a letter supporting Washington's line on Iraq against the more dovish stance of France and Germany. Paris was further upset when 10 other eastern European nations signed a similar letter a few days later. France argued that the moves aggravated splits in the 15-nation EU and backed the ideas put forward by U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld who had earlier spoke of France and Germany as "old Europe" in contrast to the easterners seeking to join the EU and NATO (news - web sites). "Concerning the candidate countries, honestly I felt they acted frivolously because entry into the European Union implies a minimum of understanding for the others," Chirac told reporters after an emergency EU summit on Iraq. He warned the candidates the position could be "dangerous" because the parliaments of the 15 EU nations still have to ratify last December's decision for 10 new members to join the bloc on May 1, 2004. Chirac particularly warned Romania and Bulgaria, who are still negotiating to enter the bloc in 2007. "Romania and Bulgaria were particularly irresponsible to (sign the letter) when their position is really delicate," Chirac said. "If they wanted to diminish their chances of joining Europe they could not have found a better way." Britain, Spain and other EU nations had suggested the candidate nations attend Monday's emergency summit on Iraq, but France and Germany opposed the idea. Although Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and British Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) were the driving forces behind the letter backing America and EU members Italy, Denmark and Portugal also signed up, Chirac saved his wrath for the candidates. "When you're in the family you have more rights than when you're knocking on the door," he said. Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta are set to join in May 2004. Lagging behind economically, Romania and Bulgaria were told to wait three more years. Instead of attending the EU summit, the candidates are due to travel to Brussels Tuesday for a briefing on its outcome by Greece, which currently holds the EU presidency. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis denied they had been excluded from the summit because of their backing for Washington, insisting rules require the treaties be signed first. "We will not discuss pro-American or anti-American positions," Simitis told a news conference. "The candidate countries will be members" soon, and "we have to proceed together."