Russia Would Oppose Attack on Iraq

AP | 12/02/01

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Sunday December 2 6:16 PM ET

Russia Would Oppose Attack on Iraq

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Russia would oppose a U.S. military strike against Iraq and believes diplomacy is the only way to solve the arms inspections impasse between Washington and Baghdad, a Russian envoy visiting the Middle East said Sunday.

Nikolai Kartuzov said Moscow, a key ally and major trading partner with Baghdad, was making a great effort to prevent an attack on Iraq. He did not elaborate.

Kartuzov, who spoke to reporters after meeting Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa in Cairo, said targeting Iraq would have serious repercussions in the Middle East.

Speculation that America might attack Iraq has intensified following Baghdad's continued reluctance to let U.N. inspectors determine if Iraq's programs to build weapons of mass destruction have been dismantled.

On Nov. 26, President Bush (news - web sites) called on Baghdad to comply or face the consequences, a veiled threat that Iraq could be America's next target once Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s al-Qaida network and the Taliban militia is routed from Afghanistan (news - web sites).

Kartuzov, who visited Iraq last week, said a diplomatic solution was the only viable means to deal with the weapons inspection issue.

He said Washington had not provided any justification for launching an attack on Iraq nor produced evidence implicating it in the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

The United States has alleged that an Iraqi diplomat met bin Laden in Afghanistan in 1998.

Kartuzov reiterated Russian calls for the lifting of U.N. economic sanctions imposed on Iraq as punishment for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Under U.N. Security Council resolutions, the sanctions cannot be lifted until U.N. inspectors certify that Iraq has dismantled its weapons programs. Baghdad has barred inspectors from Iraq since they left the country ahead of U.S.-British airstrikes in December 1998.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Didn't think Russia would be opposed to an attack of Iraq.

[A CA Guy]

Does this mean they'll make a show like they give two F's for them or will they send an army?

[WoofDog123]

This is a song and dance routine, imho; surely there is also a lot of domestic politics for putin administration to not be seen as caving to u.s. unilaterally; there are any number of scenarios that are next for this; such as the u.s. 'finding' evidence that iraq indeed was involved in anthrax or 9/11 attacks, or a progressive reduction in russian position with a hidden quid pro quo, etc, or a full uprising in kurdistan and u.s. acting to stop iraqi retaliation against them, etc. Or maybe they are simply opposed no matter what, but they knew this was coming when they let the u.s. have all those soviet bases in the central asian ssr's, so i can't help but think it is implicitly agreed that iraq will havea change of government in the near future....I don't see how anyone could see the u.s. position after 9/11 and not think the iraq government was gonna be a casualty of this war.

[Reagan is King]

This is posturing, IMHO. They will trade support for the attack for some type of debt relief, or loan guarantees (or similar) behind the scenes. Their support if a bargaining chip and they're smart enough to play it. They know Iraq is next.

[Reagan is King]

IS a bargaining chip

Fire the proofreader!

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Agree with you and Wolfdog basically.

Does Iraq have nukes?

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Have you listened to Woolsey? He makes a pretty good case for Iraq training terrorists on how to hijack planes. Also Iraq tried to assassinate Bush Sr. and the first WTC attack may be linked to it.

Iraq shoots at our planes routinely as they fly over it.

Thus noone should have any problem with us attacking Iraq.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

Don't forget about the Americans Saddam took hostage in the Gulf War.

[Freedom of Speech Wins]

See where you are coming from there.

[Eternal_Bear]

Maybe the price to pay off the Russians will be too high? Then what? Slide to WW3?

[ElephantMan]

Kartuzov said targeting Iraq would have serious repercussions in the Middle East.

Well, he is correct. Targeting Iraq will have serious repercussions in the Middle East--particularly on Saddam Hussein!

[meenie]

They can take care of the training camps now with their fly-over attacks. How can Russia complain if the Kurds and Shiites in the south decide to attacks Sadaam in an internal civil war with the help of US bombardment? The US will not attack Iraq directly with an invasion force.

[lavaroise]

Russia would oppose a U.S. military strike against Iraq and believes diplomacy is the only way to solve the arms inspections impasse between Washington and Baghdad, a Russian envoy visiting the Middle East said Sunday.

Oh nice, we should repent in negociation with Iraq. Typical leftist demagoguery.

[Gunner9mm]

Someone tell the Russians to call 1-800-555-1212 and ask for someone who cares.

[sinkspur]

Calling all your fellow dope-smoking Muslie symps?

Iraq is next. Hussein knows it, the rest of the Muslim world knows it, and you know it.

[NewAmsterdam]

Ho, ho, big boy! You can call me whatever you like, but NOT, I repeat NOT, a dope-smoker! I am NOT a dope-smoker and to be labeled as such by ANYONE I consider an insult. Got it? Weirdo.

[sinkspur]

I am NOT a dope-smoker and to be labeled as such by ANYONE I consider an insult.

Retracted.

However, and even greater insult is to allow yourself to be pinged by the likes of tex-oma.

Why are you not bothered being a Muslie sympathizer?