Posted on 11/27/2001 8:40:05 AM PST by kattracks
BAGHDAD, Nov 27, 2001 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Iraq on Tuesday rejected a demand by U.S. President George W. Bush to allow the United Nations arms inspectors back in Iraq after an absence of three years.
"Anyone who thinks Iraq can accept an arrogant and unilateral will is wrong," an Iraqi government spokesman said in a statement carried by the official INA news agency (INA).
"Iraq is able to defend itself and will not bow to any threats,"the spokesman said.
The return of the U.N. arms inspectors hinges on a total lifting of the U.N. sanctions on Iraq and the abolishment of two no-fly zones in the country, the spokesman added.
Iraq has been under the U.N. sanctions since its 1990 invasion of neighboring Kuwait. Following the 1991 Gulf War, in which the U.S.-led multinational coalition army evicted Iraqi troops out of Kuwait, the Western allies set up the two no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq to keep Iraqi President Saddam Hussein at bay.
Iraq has been rejecting the international arms inspection since it was attacked by the U.S. and Britain in December 1998.
President Bush on Monday demanded that Saddam allow arms inspectors back "to show us that he is not developing weapons of mass destruction."
When asked about the consequences if Iraq rejects, Bush said that "he will find out."
The U.S. strongly suspects that Saddam has taken advantage of the absence of arms inspectors to strengthen Iraq's arsenal and develop weapons of mass destruction.
There have been widespread speculations that the U.S. might launch military strikes against Iraq, designated by Washington as one of state sponsors of terrorism.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell has said that the U.S. could turn attention to Iraq after its military campaign in Afghanistan is over.
Copyright 2001 XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
I love this guys attitude. Please don't change, we need an excuse to bomb the sh*t out of you and kill Saddam and his wicked offspring.
Free Iraq.
I know there's a lot of Warthog lovers out there. Do ya think we'll redeploy them again over Iraq? I never had true appreciation for this aircraft until I was educated by fellow FREEpers.
I like that. But its gonna be one heck of a bumpy ride, I think we are in the calm before the domestic storm.
BWAAAAAHAAAHAAAHAAA !!!
Iraq? What's an Iraq? Oh, right, he's talking about New Texas!
Mark W.
Sure hate it for ya. Don't forget the batteries and canned goods on your way home for work today.
Iraq is in for a bumby ride. US technology has progressed at a geometric rate (just like Pentium processors). Stay tuned...
Again?
Saddam will now make the same arrogant errors that OBL and his fanatics made after 9/11.
SecState Powell will leave more trip wires for Saddam to trip over in the next few weeks.
Phase II will be the installation of an anti Saddam Iraqui government in the no fly zone. James Woolsey has been working on identifying the former Iraquis to head up this new government since 9/12 as per GW's orders!
Phase III will start when Saddam does something stupid or fails to comply with Phase I, the return of real UN inspectors!
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