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Belgium
has been advocating a firm anti-war position
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BRUSSELS,
March 11 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Anti-war Belgium
spurned a request by the United States to expel an Iraqi diplomat from
Brussels, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday, March 11.
"The
United States made such a request but there will be no expulsion because
we don't at this stage have elements which would lead us to think that
such a measure is necessary," the ministry deputy spokesman Patrick
Herman.
Herman,
however, declined to identify the diplomat or to say what allegations
were levelled against him, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).
But
the daily La Libre Belgique said the diplomat accused was the charge
d'affaires at the Iraqi Embassy.
The
newspaper quoted the diplomat, identified as Ryad al Wayos, as saying
that it was "an honour" to be targeted by the United States.
Al
Wayos, who has been in Brussels for 18 months and who is one of three
Iraqi diplomats stationed here, added that he had every confidence that
Belgium, "an independent country", would treat the issue
fairly, the paper said.
"The
U.S. request to expel Iraqis is a sign of weakness," he averred.
Belgium,
which is strongly opposed to a U.S.-led war on Iraq, joined
France and Germany last month in refusing the war option and blocking a
NATO agreement over U.S. requests to boost Turkey's defences in
preparation for a the looming war.
A
spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Brussels confirmed that the United
States has asked "a number of countries to expel Iraqi intelligence
agents, some operating under diplomatic cover, who we believe pose a
threat to our personnel and installations overseas".
"This
action is based on threat information that the United States has
received. The United States would expect governments to act on
information concerning threats to U.S. personnel and installations
within their borders," claimed Joseph Macmanus.
Toeing
the U.S. line, Romania expelled Monday, March 10, five Iraqi diplomats
allegedly for "activities incompatible with their diplomatic
status."
"The
decision to expel them was made after information that had been supplied
over the past few days by Romanian secret services ... was
confirmed," claimed Romanian Foreign Minister Mircea Geoana.
Last
Wednesday, March 5, the United States announced the expulsion of two
Iraqi diplomats working at the United Nations in New York.
The
diplomats were expelled allegedly for "activities outside the scope
of their official functions," a euphemism for spying.
Also
last week, the Australian government ordered an Iraqi diplomat, Helal
Ibrahim Aaref, to leave the country by Wednesday, March 12, claiming he
had been engaged in unspecified intelligence activities.
