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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2002)
Nation & world briefing Three nations reject U.S. call to attack Iraq Margaret Coker Cox News Service (U-WIRE) MOSCOW — The Bush adminis tration failed over the weekend to win support for military action in Iraq from three key nations, further complicating American diplomatic efforts at the United Nations. Russia, siding with France and China, said Sunday that military in tervention is not needed since Bagh dad has already caved to internation al pressure and will allow weapons inspectors back into Iraq. The White House sent diplomatic missions to Paris, Moscow and Bei jing over the weekend to urge these permanent members of the U.N. Se curity Council to back a new U.S. draft proposal that would permit the use of force against Iraq. President George W. Bush said Saturday this policy was in the “national of the United disarm and open all suspected weapons sites to U.N. weapons inspec tors. It also sets a 30-day deadline for Iraq to make a full declaration of any weapons of mass destruction pro grams and authorizes a military attack if Baghdad does not comply. The United Nations says it still does complete accounting of were pulled out of after Iraq’s fail their demands. States already has the backing of Great Britain. However, approval from France, Russia and China—all of whom hold veto power at the Security Council — is vital in the White House’s attempt to achieve international legitimacy for a war against Saddam. The Russian news agency Interfax on Sunday quoted high-ranking Kremlin officials as saying they were “disappointed” with the U.S. draft. France, Russia and China, who conferred on the subject Thursday and Friday, say they favor a two-step Security Council plan against Iraq. The three have said that they agree that a new Security Council resolu tion is needed to revise the mandate for U.N. weapons inspectors. But they will only consider a Security Council resolution mandating force against Baghdad after weapons in spectors finished their job or if Sad dam hindered their work. U.N. weapons inspectors are sched uled to return to Iraq in mid-October. Margaret Coker can be reached atiriegc@coxnews.com. Saddam s 4 iance Is for attacks Ken Moritsugu and Diego Ibarguen Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT) WASHINGTON—Iraq’s rejection of any new conditions on U.N. weapons inspections could play into President George W. Bush’s hands as both Con gress and the United Nations prepare to grapple with the issue this week. With congressional leaders set to meet Monday to try to iron out differ ences on a resolution authorizing war, Iraq’s combative position could push Congress toward approval of such a resolution, a I >cmocratie sen ator said Sunday. Meanwhile, as Iraqi and U.N. offi cials prepared to meet in Vienna on Monday to try to agree on a resump tion of weapons inspections, a Secu rity Council member said that Iraq’s stance underlines the need for a new and tougher U.N. resolution on Iraq. The Bush administration is push ing hard for both resolutions Despite continued objections by a handful of Democrats, a congressional resolu tion is widely expected to pass, though disagreement remains on the exact wording. The battle in the Unit ed Nations is uphill. Many countries want to give Iraq one more chance to prove it has no weapons of mass de struction before passing any resolu tion that could set the stage for war. Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Saturday that, his country welcomed weapons inspec tions under rules that existed when the inspections ceased in 1998, but would reject any new conditions. The rejection indicated “a certain arrogance” on the part of Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., said Sunday. "This latest reaction is not going to help him in my view at all and probably going to bring us closer to support of a resolution in the Sen ate and in the House,” lie said on CBS’Face the Nation. But Reps. David Bonior, D-Mich., Jim McDermott, D-Wash., after meet ing with Iraqi officials in Baghdad, said Sunday that both Congress and the United Nations should hold off on any new resolutions until Iraq tries to com ply with U.N. weapons inspections. “They should be given a chance,” McDermott said in an interview on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos. “Otherwise, you’re just trying to provoke them into war.” © 2002, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Israel leaves Arafat compound without ‘terrorists’ Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson Knight Ridder Newspapers (KRT) JERUSALEM — Bowing to Ameri can pressure, Israeli military forces withdrew Sunday from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s ruined head quarters in the West Bank city of Ra mallah, but tanks and troops re mained close, to keep watch on a number of suspected terrorists inside. White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said “the president wel comes this development” and called on Israel and Arafat “to live up to their responsibilities to promote peace, stability and reform in the Palestinian Authority* ” Administration officials had pres sured Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to stop his assault on Arafat, launched on Sept. 19 in response to two sui cide bombings in Israel that killed seven and injured dozens more. Israeli troops in tanks and bulldoz ers virtually demolished the sprawl ing, one-block compound, leaving only one building in which Arafat and about 200 Palestinians were confined. Besides wanting to force out dozens of suspected terrorists Israeli officials insist are inside with Arafat, Sharon had hoped the demolition would make it so uncomfortable for the Palestinian leader that he would leave the West Bank altogether. Sharon and other hawkish govern ment leaders have repeatedly ex pressed a desire to expel Arafat from the region because they believe him to be the main force behind contin ued terror attacks on Israelis. But mounting pressure from the Americans forced Sharon to capitu late. At a Sunday morning meeting of senior Israeli cabinet officials, Sharon agreed to end the siege on the day that coincidentally marked the second anniversary of the cur retit Palestinian uprising. Arafat and other Palestinian offi cials later complained the Israeli withdrawal was incomplete, with soldiers still roaming Ramallah in ar mored vehicles and stopping anyone who left Arafat’s compound to en sure they were not on Israel’s list of wanted Palestinians. A curfew was imposed on Palestinians as dusk fell. © 2002, Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services. Use your UO student or faculty ID as your passport around town! With it, you can ride all buses on all LTD routes FREE*— anytime and anywhere LTD travels. Or, BREEZE around town! Catch the BREEZE to great shopping and restaurants. It’s the Way to Go! Look for your Handy Dandy Guide at the EMU or the LTD downtown center: It showcases shortcuts to and from the UO campus. 687-5555 (Guest Services) Md. lane. or. us (E-mail) \ ltd.org (Internet) *Pass is provided through the ASUO student fees. Lane Transit District 800-735-2900 (TTY)
