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Strategies & Market Trends : Waiting for the big Kahuna -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Enigma who wrote (33693)	11/14/1998 6:36:00 PM
From: flickerful	Respond to of 94695

brinks may come. and brinks may go..... but " i'm still here..." <g> [i know i'm tone deaf, please be kind.]

To: Enigma who wrote (33693)	11/14/1998 6:42:00 PM
From: flickerful	Respond to of 94695

New wave of U.S. warplanes headed for Gulf UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council is meeting late Saturday to debate the next step after Iraq's surprise announcement earlier in the day to unconditionally allow U.N. weapons inspections. Despite Iraq's apparent submission in the standoff, more U.S. warplanes headed to the Gulf for possible strikes against Iraq, while President Clinton's national security team assesses the merit of Baghdad's cooperation pledge. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan will attend the Security Council meeting on Iraq, set for Saturday afternoon, said U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard. Humanitarian workers may return 'immediately' Following the Council deliberations, Annan intended "to order the humanitarian workers back to their jobs (in Iraq) immediately," Eckhard said. The independent inspection agents who certify the arrival of U.N. humanitarian supplies into Iraq were withdrawn from their posts Friday. Baghdad's change of policy came in a letter that Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon handed over to Annan in New York. The letter, written by Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, said Iraq would allow inspectors of the U.N. special commission (UNSCOM) and those of the International Atomic Energy Agency to resume their mission at suspected weapons sites. 'Complete and unconditional cooperation' "To give an additional chance to achieve justice by lifting the (Gulf War) embargo (against Iraq)...the leadership of Iraq has decided to resume cooperation with UNSCOM and the IAEA and to allow them to carry out their normal missions," Aziz said in the letter, which was read on Iraqi television. Hamdoon said the inspectors could return immediately, pledging "complete and unconditional cooperation" from Baghdad. "They will be allowed any minute they want to go back and to resume their normal work," he said. "From now on it's up to them to decide when to go back." Annan: Response meets U.N. requirements In an immediate reaction after he was given the Iraqi letter, Annan described Baghdad's move as "positive" and said he believed President Saddam Hussein's response met U.N. requirements to resolve the latest crisis. Hamdoon said the reason for the change of mind by Iraq was due to the appeals from Annan and Russian President Boris Yeltsin. Iraq stopped cooperating with U.N. weapons inspectors on October 31, saying it wanted a firm timetable from the United Nations for the lifting of sanctions on Iraq. The United Nations imposed crippling economic sanctions after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. Under the terms of the cease-fire that ended the Gulf War a year later, the sanctions cannot be lifted until U.N. weapons inspectors certify that Iraq has been disarmed. U.S., Britain want proof Despite Iraq's latest diplomatic moves, the White House gave no indication that the military buildup in the Gulf was being halted. White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart said Clinton was assessing Iraq's cooperation offer to determine if it was adequate. "The president's national security team is meeting ... to assess the situation," Lockhart said. "Public commitment by Iraq must be followed by concrete and demonstrable actions." The 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellvue, Nebraska, prepares to head to the Persian Gulf The latest wave of U.S. warplanes left for the Gulf Saturday: six B-52 heavy bombers departed Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana and were to be followed by F-15s, F-16s, and other B-1 bombers from bases across the country, said Air Force spokeswoman Sgt. Wendy Frable. Britain, which has also taken a hard-line stance toward Iraq, said Saturday that Iraq's decision must be unconditional to avoid military action. "There can be no negotiation on this whatsoever. Nothing but unconditional compliance will do," said a spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair. Correspondents Christiane Amanpour, Brent Sadler, Richard Roth, Kathleen Koch, Jamie McIntyre, The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report. cnn.com