Posted on 12/02/2001 9:24:39 PM PST by 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.
Are you sure you don't belong in a blue state? The thinking there would be more to your liking.
tex-omar posts opinion from left-wing and assorted peacenik sources.
He's opposed to the war on terrorism and, like Demidog and Justine Raimondo, blames America for the 9/11 attacks.
As for you, how 'bout the IDF? They're kickin' some Pallie butt this morning, big time, aren't they?
How much blood does Arafat want on his shaky hands?
I'm surprised his own people don't rise up and strangle him.
The Ruskies don't do ANYTHING out of principle, do they?
Ok, Mohammaed Atta was a nice Jewish boy, thanks for clearing it up. (/sarcasm)
IIRC, Russia no longer deals with the IMF and has paid off the debts piled up by the old drunk. It was able to do so because of the high oil prices over the past couple of years. I think that's why George Soros said a while back that "we" (meaning the "banksters") had lost Russia.
I've got to admire a country that tells the IMF to go to hell. Of course, none of the other countries the IMF destroyed through its "reforms" had 20,000 nuclear warheads. That must give even the most evil usurer pause.
Russia has instituted a flat tax of about 13 percent, I think. In short, someday in the not-too-distant future it may be more capitalistic than we are.
This guy can call you names, insult you to the hilt, get you to fire back in self-defense, and then you will get banned.
Don't take the bait, this crumb ain't worth it.
They sure do present a problem for people who struggle with them and in turn become angry and contrairian. If your response was intended to be sarcastic in support of tex-oma, then "nice try".
I've got to admire a country that tells the IMF to go to hell.
Agreed!
Right now it doesn't pay for Russia or USA to broadcast their strategy - plenty of time for that after Afghanistan is fixed up. Then we'll see what the gameplan was.
Remember all the armchair generals a few weeks ago and their predictions of how tough the taliban are etc. I know its not over yet but I don't believe its going to be any tougher for the US in Iraq.
Anyhow, who asked the Russians for their opinion. They'd be starving without US aid and they know which side their bread is buttered on. And its US butter at that.
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