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Russia Slams U.S. Warnings, Iraq Accuses Washington Of Using Terror To Win Support
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Moscow angrily dismissed recent U.S. warnings
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MOSCOW,
August 25 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Moscow angrily dismissed
recent U.S. warnings that Russian economic ties with so-called rogue
states may have a negative impact in the West, accusing Washington of
being double-faced about trade with Iraq, and charging that U.S.
companies were also dealing with Baghdad for commercial gain. At the
same time, Iraq accused the United States of using blackmail, threats,
and terror in order to win support for its coming strike on Iraq.
“It
seems that U.S. military leaders are forced to resort to this kind of
statements for lack of other serious arguments, so they can defend the
use of force, which causes great concern to the world,” said foreign
ministry spokesman Boris Malakhov.
The
ministry’s statement further suggested that the Pentagon was moving
forward without having been briefed by President George W. Bush,
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
“It
is difficult for us to say whether the Pentagon had the authority to
make these statements,” said the Russian spokesman.
Earlier
this week, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld cautioned Russia
against dealing with countries Washington suspects of supporting
terrorism, later suggesting that its trade deal with Iraq could hurt
Moscow’s relations with the West.
“To
the extent that the country is saying to the world that they want to
be known as close personal friends of Saddam Hussein or (North
Korea’s) Kim Jong-il or (Cuba’s) Fidel Castro it sends a signal
that is harmful to them, it seems to me,” Rumsfeld said.
“As
for economic ties with the states Rumsfeld mentioned, we are sure that
Pentagon has information of other countries and companies, including
U.S.-based ones, that do business with them in strict accordance with
international law,” Malakhov pointed out.
“Turning
international trade into a point of ideology is reminiscent of the
Cold War, which thanks to Russian and U.S. efforts is now past, even
if some people do not like it,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
The
comments, which President Vladimir Putin has not officially confirmed,
came two days after Moscow signaled it would send a top delegation to
Washington next month to argue against military strikes on Iraq.
Russian
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said he and Foreign Minister Igor
Ivanov would visit Washington to focus on the threat during
consultations with their U.S. counterparts in the framework of a new
council set up by the two sides during a presidential summit in May.
Russian
officials have mentioned on several occasions that the
“four-sided” council representing defense and foreign ministry
heads from the two countries will convene for the first time in
Washington next month.
But
U.S. officials have said little on the subject and have so far failed
to confirm the meeting. Ivanov did not say what date had been set for
the talks.
Moscow
vocally opposes Washington’s plans to unseat Saddam Hussein’s
regime in Baghdad despite otherwise supporting the U.S.-led
“anti-terror” campaign.
And
Washington’s concern over Russia intensified earlier this week with
the announcement by the Iraqi ambassador here that Moscow and Baghdad
had just inked a new 40-billion-dollar economic cooperation deal.
Meanwhile
in Baghdad, Iraqi newspapers said Sunday, August 25, that Washington
has failed to persuade the world to back a military offensive against
Iraq and is now resorting to the black arts of threat, blackmail and
terror.
“The
U.S. administration is now up another dead-end with the increase in
international opposition to its stupid unilateral policy and military
projects against Iraq,” said the influential Babel.
Washington
“has suffered a resounding failure in its attempts to convince
international public opinion of the excuses it uses to strike Iraq,”
it added.
As
a result, the United States “is starting to use means with which it
is familiar, that is to say threats, blackmail and terrorism, against
countries who have stated their opposition to an American military
offensive against Iraq,” the newspaper said, alluding to Egypt and
Saudi Arabia.
“The
American administration has intimated to its media to bark night and
day against these countries, threatened to deprive them of aid or
ordered its agents to carry out acts of terrorism there.”
Government
daily Al-Jumhuriya condemned “gross U.S. interference in the
internal affairs of Arab states ... by giving the press news about
what they call ‘harboring terrorists’ as is the case with Saudi
Arabia or ‘human rights’ as with Egypt.”
Ath-Thawra,
the ruling Baath Party newspaper, said: “The international community
has found no links between Iraq and the lie of terrorism spread by
(U.S. President George W.) Bush.
“As
for the question of weapons of mass destruction, that concerns Iraq
and the United Nations and not the United States,” it said.
“The
American administration is isolated because the Arab-Islamic world and
the whole of the international community reject the aggressive threats
made by Washington.”
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