CNN Europe reports that Iraq will not allow UN peacekeepers in the country. More importantly, it informs us that Iraq will not allow UN arms inspectors to destroy missiles that violate the terms of the 1991 cease-fire.
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz said in an interview with CNN on Saturday that it would be "unacceptable" for U.N. weapons inspectors to destroy Iraqi missiles found to violate U.N. limits and dismissed the idea of sending U.N. peacekeepers to Iraq.
Do France and Germany and Belgium need it spelled out for them? Iraq is only cooperating as long as they get what they want. If they have to make concessions, they are not going to cooperate.
U.N. weapons inspectors have also been pressing Iraq to allow scientists involved in weapons-related work to be interviewed privately. Aziz said Iraq has promised to encourage them to do so, but he also defended the practice of scientists bringing tape recorders into those interviews.
"What's wrong in taking a tape recorder?" Aziz said. "If I want to talk to you about anything, I will put a tape recorder that will help me be reminded of what I said."
He said the suggestion that scientists might not feel free to talk candidly if their conversations were taped was a "political accusation."
No, it's bloody common sense. After seeing what happened to their colleague who tried to talk to the inspectors, any Iraqi scientist would be nuts to say anything that contradict's the government's stance.
The article has no comment from the "Axis of Weasels" on how they feel about Iraq's "cooperation". I wonder how France, Germany, and Russia feel about Iraq smashing their cherished dream of enhancing the inspection teams with soldiers under UN control. Maybe we'll see some real action now, since Iraq's action should be a slap in the face to the UN's appeasement section.
posted on February 16, 2003 02:13 PM
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