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Cheney, Blair Warn Iraq
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Americans launch a major attack on Iraq, their second target
will be Iran and Syria as well: Tarek Aziz
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LONDON,
March 11 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - British Prime Minister
Tony Blair and visiting U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney stressed
Monday the importance of engaging in frank consultations over the
"threat" posed by Iraq.
Cheney,
speaking at a press conference after talks with Blair at the start
of a 12-stop tour of mainly Arab states, said that "in these
matters [weapons of mass destruction], America is not announcing
decisions," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
Rather,
he said, he would be holding "frank discussions" with
other members of the anti-terror alliance about countering what
London and Washington claim is Iraq's involvement in weapons of mass
destruction.
Blair
said there was no doubt of the threat, but stressed it would be
dealt with in a "calm and measured" way.
He
said Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein had acquired weapons of mass
destruction over a long period, used chemical weapons against his
own people, breached U.N. resolutions and refused to allow in
international monitors.
"No
decisions have been taken on how we deal with this threat," he
told the news conference.
"But that there is a threat from Saddam Hussein and the weapons
of mass destruction he has acquired is not in doubt at all.
"What is important is that we reflect and consider and
deliberate."
A possible second phase of the war against terrorism was on the
agenda at the meeting, which comes before Cheney embarks on a 10-day
tour of the Middle East.
Cheney
said it was important to prevent the "potential marriage"
between that network and states which had nuclear, chemical or
biological weapons.
According
to BBC's online service, Blair faces growing domestic disquiet over
military action against Iraq - many Labor MPs are among the 70, who
have signed a motion opposing action.
There
is unease elsewhere in Europe about such action.
Baghdad,
meanwhile, urged Arab leaders Monday to oppose U.S. threats to
attack Iraq when they meet Cheney during his upcoming tour of the
region.
"This
criminal cannot be allowed to decide the fate of the Arab nation.
Arab leaders should oppose [U.S.] threats," said Vice President
Taha Yassin Ramadan, quoted by the official INA news agency.
"Arab citizens are required to play an active role in standing
up to the challenges facing the Arab nation," he added.
"U.S.
and Zionist threats are not new," Ramadan said. "We have
been facing plots aimed at harming the Arab nation for years,".
Iraqi
Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz warned the United States in remarks
published Monday that its interests in the Middle East would be at
risk if it attacked Iraq.
"Iraq
fought the United States and knows how to fight and defend
itself," said Aziz, who spoke at an Arab conference held in
Baghdad in solidarity with Iraq and the Palestinians.
"Should
U.S. interests spread across the Arab world remain [unscathed] when
an Arab country is the target of U.S. aggression?" Aziz asked,
calling the situation "dangerous".
"If the United States feels a threat to its interests, its war
[against Iraq] would be doomed," he added.
Aziz branded as "lies" Washington allegations that Iraq
had resumed production of weapons of mass destruction.
"Is
the American demand for a return of the inspectors a pretext [for
strikes] or is it a real American concern?" he said.
The minister said Iran too faced a U.S. threat, adding that if
"the Americans launch a major attack on Iraq, their second
target will be Iran and Syria as well."
Iraq resumed talks with the United Nations last week on the
inspectors' possible return, but still officially rules out that
prospect.
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