Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro
Aziz Finds Friendly Audience
By GREG MYRE Associated Press January 15, 2001
de la Prensa-Basm ()zeti
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - For veteran Iraqi politician Tariq Aziz it was the rarest of occasions: As he denounced U.S.
policy toward Iraq, a roomful of appreciative Americans nodded in agreement and applauded his pronouncements.
They even laughed at his jokes. With the 10th anniversary of the start of the Persian Gulf War on
Wednesday, Aziz spoke to about 70 American activists who have come to Iraq to deliver aid and urge the lifting of
international sanctions against the Arab nation.
"Although the Iraqis are very mad at the policy of the U.S. government, they are not mad at the people of the
United States," Aziz, Iraq's deputy prime minister, said Monday evening. For much of the past decade, Aziz has been
the Iraqi official who has gone before the cameras whenever there's a crisis brewing in Iraq. Standoffs with U.N.
weapons inspectors, U.S. bombing raids and U.N. debates over sanctions have regularly brought a forest of microphones
and tough questions addressed to Aziz.
None of those issues were raised Monday, and the queries from the Americans, most of them members of religious
and humanitarian groups, were decidedly friendly. "I know that (President) Saddam Hussein is a good Muslim,"
one young American began before going on to ask whether the United States had shown a willingness to compromise
on sanctions.
"Until now, the Americans have not made any point of holding an objective dialogue with the Iraqi side," Aziz
replied. The Americans made their comments over a microphone to a roomful of people without identifying themselves.
The comprehensive sanctions, imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, have shown signs of cracking in recent
months. Dozens of planes have flown into Iraq since September, ending a de facto 10-year air embargo. Smuggling
through neighboring states is widespread, and a growing number of countries are calling for the sanctions to be
eased or lifted. However, the U.S. government has said the sanctions should remain in place until Iraq eliminates its
weapons of mass destruction, as required by U.N. resolutions. Iraq claims it has done so, but U.N. weapons inspectors
were demanding more material and documents before they left Iraq during a confrontation two years ago.
The U.S. government says the current oil-for-food program, which allows Iraq to sell as much oil as it can, provides
the country with enough money to meet its basic needs. But Iraq blames the sanctions for its emaciated economy
and claims the punitive measures are to blame for an additionalI million deaths over the past decade.
Aziz appeared on a panel alongside Ramsey Clark, the former U.S. attorney general who has been one of the more
prominent opponents of U.S. policy toward Iraq. Clark heads one of the visiting delegations, and several questioners
were from his group. "We're all here because we stand against the imperialistic forces," said one young
American woman, who wanted to know if Iraq would allow "imperialistic economic forces" into the country when
sanctions are lifted.
"We do not buy the tricks and lies of globalization. We are socialist and cannot approve of capitalist policies;" Aziz
responded, to a round of applause. One man asked Aziz how he thought relations might be under President-elect
Bush. "We are not going to bet on the new administration," Aziz said dryly, drawing chuckles from the crowd.
Another questioner asked how the Iraqi government had changed since Saddam and his Baath Party came to power
in 1968. "We have been in power for 32 years," Aziz said. "Basically, the political situation has not changed for 32
years."
Kurdish Media 16 Jan 2001
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PUK Prime Minister Resigned
SULEIMÂNIYEH, Kurdistan (KM) - Kusrat Rasul, the prime minister of the PUK controled region resigned.
On 14 January, Kusrat Rasul, the prime minister of PUK controlled region resigned. It is another recent casulty for
the P~ leadership and policies. The resignation follows the recent move by Talabani in inviting the Turkish army
to KurdIstan. The move has been widely condemned by Kurdish circles in Kurdistan and abroad.
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