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Iraq Criticizes New U.S. Administration's View On Sanctions
CAIRO & BAGHDAD, Feb 8 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Iraq urged U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Thursday to condemn Washington's support for opposition efforts to topple President Saddam Hussein, calling it a violation of the world body's charter.
The ruling Baath party's mouthpiece, Al-Thawra, asked, "Is it normal that a superpower which claims to be responsible for world security should allocate $4 million to destabilize an independent country and U.N. member?"
Iraq also renewed its warning that it would withdraw recognition of Kuwait if the emirate continues to provide support for U.S. and British military air patrols over Iraqi territory.
"Iraq has the right to disengage itself from any clause which benefits the leaders of Kuwait so long as no measure has been taken by these leaders to put a halt to the aggression," said the party's mouthpiece.
"The insistence of Kuwait's leaders to play down their role in the aggression does not mean that they are not responsible, and gives Iraq the right to take the appropriate decision when it deems fit," the newspaper added.
A U.S.-led multinational coalition evicted Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War. Three years later, Baghdad officially recognized the state of Kuwait and its U.N. re-demarcated borders.
Kuwait and Saudi Arabia provide air bases for U.S. and British warplanes to police the skies over southern Iraq, called a "no-fly zone", an operation that results in frequent clashes with Iraqi air defenses.
In addition to civilians suffering under U.N.-imposed sanctions led by the U.S. on Iraq, a great deal of whom are children, Baghdad says a total of 323 Iraqis have been killed and 957 wounded in U.S. and British air strikes since December 1998.
Observers state that U.S. President George W. Bush is aware that efforts toward forging a peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians is linked to U.S. efforts in maintaining sanctions against Iraq.
The longer the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues, the harder it will be for the Bush administration to maintain support for sanctions against Iraq.
U.S. officials are already reviewing existing policy toward Iraq. During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Secretary of State Colin Powell talked of "re-energizing" sanctions against Saddam Hussein.
He said the key to tightening the sanctions would be rebuilding consensus within the Arab world.
Speaking on the threat Iraq could impose on its neighbors with its weapons' arsenal, Powell said, "I think we have not clearly enough pointed out to our regional coalition partners and to the nations in the region that Iraq is threatening them with these weapons of mass destruction."
The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians has made Saddam Hussein popular among Palestinians, if not in the Arab world at large.
Saddam has offered money to families of Palestinian victims of the conflict, and has welcomed Palestinian wounded to Baghdad for treatment.
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