Iraq pleads innocence, UN experts race to check

BAGHDAD, Dec 18: UN Weapons Inspectors drove into a former scud missile plant north of Baghdad today past a giant portrait of a smiling President Saddam Hussein.

"Keep your enemy before your eyes, go ahead of him and don’t let him behind your back," reads a mystifying Saddam slogan outside Al-Nassr company for mechanical industries.

White UN vehicles barrel out of their Baghdad compound every morning, with a convoy of Iraqi weapons officials and foreign journalists trailing chaotically in their wake.

Only the arms inspectors, back to test Iraq’s claim that it is now free of doomsday weapons, know where they are going.

Weaving through the rush hour traffic, the pursuing posse can only guess whether the UN team ahead will flip across the city to see a Baghdad University Lab, drive half a day through the desert to a uranium extraction plant on the Syrian border or follow the tigris river to the northern city of Mosul.

After three weeks of such mystery tours, the novelty has worn thin, but the world is looking to the inspectors to make judgments that could tip the balance between war and peace.

"So far...Our inspectors have been able to gain access to the sites they wanted to inspect and they were able to complete their inspections," UN spokesman Hiro Ueki said on tuesday.

Such smooth operations contrast with the friction that often accompanied seven years of inspections after the 1991 Gulf war, when Iraq agreed to disarm in return for a ceasefire.

Unscom, the former inspections body, accused Iraq of systematically impeding its work. Baghdad was convinced UNSCOM was a cover for US and Israeli espionage.

Now US President George W Bush has effectively put a gun to Iraq’s head, with the backing of last month’s UN Security Council resolution that gives Saddam a last chance to come clean on his weapons programmes or face serious consequences. Bush is likely to declare Iraq in "material breach" of the resolution this week, but he is not expected to roll into war immediately on the strength of that, US officials said on Wednesday.

US officials have said Iraq’s latest arms declaration falls short of the UN demand that it give a full and final account of all its weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq is sure to disagree and most of the world will want the International Atomic Energy Agency and the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) to deliver their verdict before Washington launches any invasion to topple Saddam.

To convince the world of its innocence, Iraq must strip bare its once ferociously guarded state secrets.

Now reporters, cameramen and photographers are often welcomed into weapons sites just inspected by UN teams to hear Iraqi officials explain how cooperative they have been.

Still, the old instincts occasionally surface.

An Iraqi officer tersely ordered journalists back to their cars on Wednesday as they waited for inspectors to emerge from a sprawling military supply depot near Al-Nassr company.

Can the inspectors, armed with better technology and much tougher powers than their predecessors, prove whether or not Iraq has pursued banned arms during their four-year absence?

IAEA chief Mohamed Elbaradei said last week it could take months for his staff to assess Iraq’s nuclear activities. He and UNMOVIC head Hans Blix will give the Security Council their initial view of the Iraq arms dossier on Thursday.

More than 100 UN experts are rechecking old sites and visiting some newly declared by Iraq, but it may be hard for them to prove or disprove US and British suspicions that the Iraqis have concealed chemical or biological weapons in trucks.

"The inspectors might get lucky," said one middle eastern diplomat. "But Iraqi officials argue that they have already surrendered and submitted to disarmament." (AGENCIES)

US to delay ‘road map’ for Middle East peace

JERUSALEM, Dec 18: Despite persistent pressure from the European Union for a swift action plan on the Middle East, the Bush administration has decided to postpone presenting its "roadmap for Middle East peace" until after general elections in Israel on Januray 28.

As "compensation" for the delay President George Bush would host the representatives of the diplomatic ``quartet’’ — United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia, Israel radio said today.

Official announcement to this effect, however, would be made later this week, the radio said adding the European Union differed with the administration on the issue.

After the "quartet" meeting, the administration would issue a declaration stating that the publication of the roadmap was postponed due to elections in Israel as also to buy time to sort out major differences on the details of the road map between the European Union and the United States.

Officials from the diplomatic "quartet" are due to meet in Washington on Friday for talks on the "road map" and situation in the Middle East

the weekend official announcement by the US is expected to include a denunciation of terrorism as well as an expression of concern for the plight and humanitarian needs of the Palestinians.

The radio said the US administration and the European Union have differed on four major points — the nature of the quartet’s mechanism for supervision of implementation of peace moves in the territories, the settlements, and restrictions on israeli policy of ‘targeted liquidations’.

The "road map" outlines the steps each side must take to meet George Bush’s goal of independent Israeli and Palestinian states that live side by side in peace. But that process, has been time and again overshadowed by the political struggle in Israel and the US confrontation with Iraq.

While Isareli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon had accepted the peace proposal ‘in principle’ his arch-rival and new Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had appeared to be dismissing the "road map" concept as irrelevant saying in an interview that a war with Iraq "is the real thing on our international agenda and that will take precedence over everything else."

Sharon had immediately criticised Netanyahu for endangering Israel’s relationship with the Bush administration, but many administration officials and Middle East analysts believe Netanyahu was merely saying out loud what Sharon privately thinks.

The "road map" is understood to envision a three-phase process under which the palestinians would undertake reforms, ease out Arafat as their leader and end attacks on Israeli civilians, Israelis would respond with concrete actions to build trust, a provisional palestinian state could be created by the end of next year, with full statehood and Arab recognition of Israel by 2005. (PTI)

Bush worried about omissions, problems in Iraq report

WASHINGTON, Dec 18: US President George W Bush is "concerned" about omissions and problems in Iraq’s declaration to the United Nations on its weapons of mass destruction, the White House said today.

"The United States takes this matter very seriously, because the President has made clear that (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein, that this is his last chance to comply" and avert war, said bush spokesman Ari Fleischer. "The President is concerned about omissions in the declaration and about problems in the declaration," Fleischer said as Bush huddled with his National Security Council to chart the US response to the 12,000-page document.

"The United States will continue to pursue a very deliberative approach in dealing with this issue and the potential consequences of determinations about the Iraqi declaration," the spokesman said.

Specifically, he said, any declaration that Baghdad is in material breach "would not preclude" continued efforts by UN inspectors scouring Iraq for evidence of any banned weapons systems or programmes. (AFP)

US okayed Pakistani repression in Bangladesh
in ’71: Documents

NEW YORK, Dec 18: Despite assurance by the then American President Richard Nixon to the Congress that United States does not "support or condone" Pakistan’s military repression in the then East Pakistan (Bangladesh) in 1971, Washington did nothing to stop genocide, according to a summary of declassified documents.

Instead, by using what Nixon and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called quiet diplomacy, the US administration gave a green light of sorts to the Pakistanis, says Sajit Gandhi analyzing the documents posted on a website. Gandhi is a research associate, South Asia documents, at the national security archives in Washington.

In one instance, Nixon declared to a Pakistani delegation that "President Yahya (Khan) is a good friend. Rather than express concern over the ongoing brutal military repression, Nixon explained he "understands the anguish of the decisions which had to make," he writes quoting from a document.

As a result of Yahya’s importance to the China initiative and his friendship with Nixon and Kissinger, Nixon declared that the US "would not do anything to complicate the situation for President Yahya or to embarrass him."

Much like the present situation post 9/11, Washington was hesitant to criticize Pakistan publicly out of fear that such a tactic might weaken the dictator’s support for American interests, Gandhi writes. (PTI)

Donors promise 2 billion dollars to help
rebuild Afghanistan

OSLO, Dec 18: A group of donor countries meeting in Oslo today pledged up to 2 billion dollars in aid to Afghanistan next year to help the war-ravaged country rebuild its infrastructure.

Part of the money is subject to the approval of the some of the individual countries’ national parliaments, Norwegian State Secretary Vidar Helgesen told reporters at the end of the two-day conference.

The 16-member Afghanistan Support Group (ASG), which has co-ordinated assistance for Afghanistan since 1997, decided to focus on long-term infrastructure projects rather than on more short-term aid such as food and medicine.

The Afghan Government takes over the management of the international assistance its receives starting at the new year. Yesterday, Afghan President Hamid Karzai addressed the opening of the Norwegian-led ASG meeting, asking the member states and the European Union to continue their assistance to help build roads and infrastructure, restore farming and create Government structures and services.

The 2003 pledge was the same amount that was given this year, and far above the United Sations request of 815 million dollars for Afghanistan. (DPA)

Blair sees wide scepticism about Iraq Dossier

LONDON, Dec 18: British Prime Minister Tony Blair said today there was widespread scepticism about Iraq’s dossier on its weapons but insisted moves to gear up for war were just contingency plans.

"I think most people who have looked at this obviously very long document are pretty sceptical about the claims that it makes but it’s important we study it in detail and make a formal and considered response," Blair told Parliament. That formal British response will come in the new year.

Blair said Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein could yet avoid war as Britain’s Defence Ministry began tendering for ships to move equipment and put troops on short notice to move.

"This is a contingency deployment. We want the inspectors to do their work, we want Saddam to comply with the UN resolutions. We use force where there is a breach of that mandate," Blair said.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said there were "obvious omissions" in Baghdad’s 12,000-page document. He said Iraq had failed to account for weapons of mass destruction listed in the final report of UN Weapons Inspectors after they left Iraq in 1998. (AGENCIES)

Bush concerned by ‘omissions’ in Iraqi declaration

WASHINGTON, Dec 18: US President George W Bush "is concerned about omissions" in Iraq’s arms declaration, the White House said today, as Bush met top aides to discuss his likely announcement declaring Iraq in violation of a UN disarmament order.

White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer said the United States would have a formal response soon to the Iraqi declaration, which US officials said failed to disclose Iraq’s suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.

"We have learned much about the declaration although the review is not complete," said Fleischer. "The President is concerned about omissions in the declaration and about problems in the declaration."

He said nonetheless that Washington will "continue to pursue a very deliberative approach in dealing with this issue and the potential consequences of determinations about the Iraqi declaration." (AGENCIES)

US let captured Taliban General go due
to faulty intelligence

WASHINGTON, Dec 18: In an embarassment to the US, special forces soldiers have revealed that the military has mistakenly released one of the six most wanted Taliban leaders in the summer, based on faulty intelligence.

Mullah Akhter Mohammed Osmani, one of Taliban’s top generals who lead thouands of troops as coalition forces ousted the hard-line regime, quickly fled to Pakistan, where he remains today, military officials were today quoted as saying by Washington Times.

They said that in late July, a green beret (special forces) a-team apprehended Osmani as he left his compound at daybreak in a town west of Kandahar. He was flown to a detention centre at Bagram Air Base for interrogation.

However, the soldiers said, task force 180, the overall command in Afghanistan, released Osmani a few weeks later.

A senior administration official and two soldiers said that a US intelligence report placed Osmani in another location after his apprehension, and this led to his release.

Osmani and other former Taliban leaders are now trying to organise a guerrilla force to disrupt the Government of Hamid Karzai in Afghanistan.

Besides Osmani, former Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar, his top aide Tayeb Agha, and top military commander Jalaluddin Happani are also among the most wanted list.

Mullah Omar is believed to be in hiding in his native Uruzgan province, an area riddled with drug traffickers and Taliban supporters North of Kandahar. The soldiers also told the times that they gained information on several occasions last summer on the whereabouts of Mullah Omar but commanders turned down the missions, citing extreme risk. (PTI)

Saddam’s denial of weapons programmes
an "obvious falsehood"

LONDON, Dec 18: Saddam Hussein’s assertion that he has no weapons of mass destruction is an "obvious falsehood" and his 12,000-page declaration to the United Sations falls short of the world body’s demands, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today.

"This will fool nobody," Straw said in a statement. "If Saddam persists in this obvious falsehood, it will become clear that he has rejected the pathway to peace laid down in (UN) resolution 1441."

Straw said Britain had not completed a full analysis of the declaration, which Iraq submitted in response to the US Security Council resolution.

"But it is clear, even on a preliminary assessment, that it is not the full and complete declaration requested in resolution 1441 and we wish to hear the views" of the UN Weapons Inspectors and nuclear regulatory body, Straw said.

Among the "obvious omissions" Straw cited was Saddam’s failure to account for the weapons of mass destruction which were listed in the final report of the inspectors who left his country in 1998.

Straw said those inspectors had accused Saddam of possessing nerve agents and other "chemical precursors" and munitions.

"And it seems that Saddam Hussein has decided to continue the pretense that iraq has had no (weapons of mass destruction) programme since (inspectors) left in 1998," he charged.

Straw said Britain wanted Saddam’s declaration tested "by hard questions and robust inspections" and that it would complete its full analysis of his statement as inspections continued. (AP)

8 dead, 32 missing in ship collision on China’s Yangtze

BEIJING, Dec 18: At least eight people were killed and 32 others, including an infant, were missing when a ferry collided with a cargo ship in the Yangste river in western China today.

The cargo ship "Yisheng" of central China’s Hubei province and the passenger ship "Changyun1" of a Chongqing shipping company collided near a port in the water area of the Yangtze river in Chongqing today morning, an official report said.

The "Changyun 1" sank within two minutes of the impact, plunging all 47 passengers into the icy water. The passengers included 18 teachers and one infant.

So far, seven passengers have been rescued while eight bodies have been recovered, Xinhua news agency reported.

The "Yisheng" had left chongqing with a cargo of 30 motor vehicles when it collided with the "Changyun 1", according to Wu Lianfan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Chongqing Municipal Government

local officials and police rushed to the scene immediately.

The cause of the collision is under investigation.

The over 6,000 km-long Yangtze is China’s longest river. (PTI)

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