Kindgo
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http://www.msnbc.com/news/842500.asp?0na=x2101664-
U.S. believes new remarks
will show Iraq’s ties to terror
NBC, MSNBC AND NEWS SERVICES
Feb. 11 — Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Senate panel Tuesday that what appears to be a new statement from Osama bin Laden shows why the world needs to be concerned about Iraqi ties to terrorism. His remarks, the first suggestion of any new bin Laden declaration, came as U.S. and other NATO officials sought to resolve a deep division in the military alliance over President Bush’s push for military action against Iraq.
POWELL SAID he read a transcript of “what bin Laden — or who we believe to be bin Laden” will be saying on the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite station later Tuesday, “where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq.”
“This nexus between terrorists and states that are developing weapons of mass destruction can no longer be looked away from and ignored,” Powell told the Senate Budget Committee.
It was Powell’s second appearance before the Senate since his presentation to the U.N. Security Council last week.
At that time, he detailed his indictment of Iraq as a deceptive stockpiler of weapons of mass destruction.
Lawmakers have praised Powell’s U.N. performance, but many Democrats remain skeptical about whether war is necessary, particularly if key U.S. allies remain opposed.
NATO STANDOFF
The split between the United States and its allies widened when France, Germany and Belgium jointly vetoed on Monday a U.S.-backed measure to authorize NATO to make plans to protect Turkey if Iraq attacks it.
Russia then joined France and Germany in demanding strengthened weapons inspections.
Powell noted that while “much is being said about disagreement in NATO,” that 16 members — including the United States and Turkey — back the U.S. position.
“I think this is time for the alliance to say to the fellow alliance member, ‘We agree with you and if you are concerned, we are concerned.’ That’s what alliances are all about and I hope NATO will be doing the right thing with respect to Turkey within the next 24 hours,” he said.
Powell said the United States is prepared to work with the 14 other nations to give Turkey the help it needs if it cannot win formal NATO support.
A second emergency meeting of the alliance’s decision-making North Atlantic Council was postponed Tuesday while diplomats held “intensive informal negotiations” to resolve the deadlock, an official said at the Brussels headquarters.
U.N. RESOLUTION?
The NATO stalemate has dismayed U.S. officials, eager to build support for military action while seeking a broad endorsement from the international community via the United Nations.
“I am disappointed that France would block NATO from helping a country like Turkey prepare,” Bush said Monday. “I don’t understand that decision. It affects the alliance in a negative way.”
Turkey is anxious for NATO to start planning for deploying Patriot air defense missiles, AWACS surveillance aircraft and anti-chemical and anti-biological warfare teams in case of any counter-attacks by neighboring Iraq.
“Turkey defended the whole of Europe during the Cold War period. It was a shield for Europe. So there is no doubt that NATO must do what falls to it,” Prime Minister Abdullah Gul told reporters in Ankara.
U.S. defense officials told NBC News that the Pentagon would likely provide air defenses to protect Turkey, including Patriot anti-missile batteries, if NATO balked.
NEW RESOLUTION?
Facing formidable obstacles, the Uniited States has begun consultations with other countries on a new resolution designed to strengthen Bush’s hand if he should decide to go to war.
The president also is reserving the option of going to war outside the United Nations, with a coalition of supporting nations.
The administration has so far been unable to sway three of the five veto-wielding members of the Security Council: France, Russia and China.
On Monday, France and Russia — along with Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the council this month — jointly set out their alternative to U.S. war plans: more arms inspections in Iraq, more diplomacy and more time.
The proposal, which has been rejected by the United States and close ally Britain, was welcomed by China.
“We support any effort that is beneficial to settling the Iraq issue politically,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue told a news conference.
In Berlin, a senior German government source told Reuters that all but four of the 15 U.N. Security Council members supported prolonging weapons inspections in Iraq.
The countries supporting the U.S. view that “the game is over” for Iraq are Britain, Spain and Bulgaria, the source said. “But the rest of the members of the Security Council support the position of the German government.”
On Friday, chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and his fellow inspection chief Mohamed ElBaradei report to the Security Council on Iraq’s cooperation with arms inspectors.
The United States: Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction, is failing to cooperate with weapons inspectors and is violating its obligations under U.N resolutions. Washington says it already has Security Council authorization to use military force to disarm Iraq.
Russia: Iraq is cooperating with inspectors and there is no evidence it is rearming. Russia wants economic sanctions, imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, to eventually be lifted and says the council must authorize any use of force.
China: Supports continued inspections.
Britain: Prefers a second Security Council resolution authorizing any military action, but is expected to join U.S.-led action without one. Says Iraq is not cooperating or disarming and that time is running out for it to do so through weapons inspections.
France: Says inspections are starting to work and sees no justification for military action now. Paris has hinted it could use its veto to block council authorization for military action at this stage.
Angola: Supports continued inspections in Iraq.
Bulgaria: Indicated it would support U.S.-led military intervention without a Security Council authorization.
Cameroon: Supports continued inspections and has not taken a position regarding military action.
Chile: Supports continued inspections and has not taken a position regarding military action.
Guinea: Supports continued inspections and has not taken a position regarding military action.
Germany: Insists Iraq must be disarmed peacefully and has said it will not participate in any military intervention, even if the Security Council authorizes such action.
Mexico: Supports continued weapons inspections and could support military intervention authorized by the Security Council.
Pakistan: Supports continued weapons inspections and a diplomatic resolution of the conflict.
Syria: Damascus says Iraq is cooperating with its obligations under U.N. resolutions and has called for U.N. sanctions to be lifted.
Spain: Supports the Bush administration’s stance on Iraq. Believes military intervention could proceed without Security Council authorization.
OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
In Iraq, U.N. weapons inspectors paid a surprise visit to a Baghdad missile plant Tuesday as international experts met behind closed doors in New York to assess whether Iraq’s short-range missiles can fly farther than permitted under U.N. edicts.
In the Gulf, preparations for war by tens of thousands of Western troops, mostly Americans, continued apace. U.S. and British planes patrolling southern Iraq attacked a mobile air-defense unit, the second such incident in three days, the U.S. military said. Iraq said two civilians had been killed.
President Mohammad Khatami, marking the 24th anniversary of Iran’s Islamic revolution, blasted the United States on Tuesday for what he called its unilateralist approach to Iraq. “A U.S. attack on Iraq is in line with its unilateral policy and illegitimate interference in the future of other countries,” Khatami told a rally in Tehran where the crowd burnt effigies of President Bush and U.S. flags.
Former President Bill Clinton told NBC’s “Today” show the United States should exercise patience in its standoff with Iraq to help build allied support for a potential strike.
Defense Department and other military officials told NBC News that intelligence reports indicated that Iraq had begun moving large amounts of explosives into its oil fields in both the north and the south in apparent preparation to blow up the wells and set the fields ablaze.
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God bless,
Kindgo
Inside the will of God there is no failure. Outside the will of God there is no success.
Posts: 4320 | From: Sunny Florida | Registered: Jun 2002
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