.Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
.Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
.Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris
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Revue <strong>de</strong> Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro <strong>de</strong> la Prensa-Baszn Öz<strong>et</strong>i<br />
Iraq gave no indication that it John Negroponte. Powell raised the curplanned<br />
to change its attitu<strong>de</strong>, which tàin on his presentation by offering<br />
thus far has been to challenge White w~t, he <strong>de</strong>scribed as an intercepted<br />
Ho~se criticisms and offer its own pug- tell'!phone conversation b<strong>et</strong>ween a colnaclous<br />
responses. Baghdad's ambassa- O1~eland a ~rigadier general in Iraq's.<br />
dor to the United Nations. Mohammed elIte RepublIéan Guard last NO'9'ember<br />
Aldouri, atten<strong>de</strong>d the Security Council that proved Iraq was playing cat and<br />
me<strong>et</strong>ing and flatly contradicted even mouse withweapons inspectors .<br />
. the wea)cest weapons charges leveled a In the conversation, the two officers<br />
by Powell and UN inspectors. . banter about the pending arrival of Ma-<br />
. Aldouri accused Powell of £abricat- ha~,ed ElBara<strong>de</strong>i. the UN's chief nucleing<br />
the audiotapes presented here and ar weapons inspector. "What do we say<br />
said "We have no relationship with Al if one of them sees it?" one of the of-<br />
Qaeda." He criticized Powell's presen- . ficers asks. referring to a "modified v<strong>et</strong>àtion<br />
as nothing more than an effortto hicle" from the Al-Kindi company.' an<br />
;."sell the i<strong>de</strong>a of war" without "l~l. Iraqi concern suspected of producing<br />
moral. or political justification." prohibited weapons. "We evacuated ev-<br />
. In Baghdad. an adviser to Saddam. erything." the other officer replies. "We<br />
Lieutenant General Amir al Saadi, dis- don't have anything left."<br />
paraged Powell's presentation. "From Another phone conversation, interwhat<br />
we have heard. any third-rate in- ?!pted in Ja~uary. just four days after<br />
. telligence outfit could produce such re- InspeCtOrs discovered 12empty chemic-<br />
. al warheads. has an Iraqi officer from<br />
cordlngs." he told reporters. "It is Republican Guard headquarters refersimply<br />
not true. and not genuine. The ring. to "forbid<strong>de</strong>n ammo" and telling a<br />
reason is simple - because we have<br />
nothing to hi<strong>de</strong>."<br />
field ",fficer about a visit by inspectors:<br />
"This is simply manufactured evi- "We sent you a message yesterday to<br />
<strong>de</strong>nce," he ad<strong>de</strong>d. clean out. all of the areas. the SC1';lp<br />
Amid speculation that the Bush ad- areas. tba.abandoned areas." the officer<br />
ministration is prepared to launch a war' at headquarters says. ,"Make sure there<br />
against Iraq by themiddle of next month, is nothing there." The senior officer<br />
.China, France and Russia reasserted then or<strong>de</strong>rs his un<strong>de</strong>rling to "<strong>de</strong>stroy<br />
their <strong>de</strong>sire Wednesday to see weapons the message, because I don't want anyinspections<br />
continue and advocated ef- one to see this message."<br />
forts to resolve the conflict peacefully. Powell accused Saddam himself of<br />
Britain, which has allied itself with orchestrating the <strong>de</strong>ception program<br />
the U.S.in the <strong>de</strong>bate and has sent troops. through a high-level committee specifito<br />
the Gulf, offered strong criticismof cally established to spy on UN inspec-<br />
Iraq here Wednesday and supported tors and prevent them from doing their<br />
Powell's contention that Iraq is not com- jobs. Powell said the committee, hea<strong>de</strong>~<br />
plying with weapons inspectors. . by Iraq's vice presi<strong>de</strong>nt. 1àha Yasin'<br />
Gerinany's foreign minister. JoschkaRamadan, inclu<strong>de</strong>s one of Saddam's<br />
Fischer. who has not supported military.' sons as well as Lieutenant Amir al Saadi.<br />
action against Iraq, said on Ge~n, the primary point of contact for UN intelevision<br />
Wednesday that he belieVed' spectors and the Iraqi government.<br />
Iraq could be brought into compliance Playing on continued concerns about<br />
if weapons inspectors are given more. the exact reach and movements of Al<br />
time to carry out their duties. Qaeda operatives. Powell said that<br />
On Tuesday. Hans Blix, the chief UN. Baghdad's illicit weapons programs can<br />
inspector for biological ana chemical be connected to terrorism and to terrorweapons.<br />
said that the war clock with . ist organizations. "Iraq and terrorism<br />
Iraq~.stands at "five minutes to mid- goes back <strong>de</strong>ca<strong>de</strong>s." he said<br />
night:' The~nexus ..with Al Qaeda. Powell<br />
In presenting his speech, which was said. originates.with a branch hea<strong>de</strong>d by<br />
transmitted globally on live television,; Abu Massab al Zaqawi, a senior associ-<br />
Powellwas accompanied by the direc- • ate of bin La<strong>de</strong>n. He said Zaqàwi has a<br />
tor of Central Intelligence, George Ten- camp in the northeastern corner of<br />
<strong>et</strong>. and the U.S. ambassador to the UN. Kurdish Iraq teaching terrorist operat-.<br />
ivès how tà produce ricin and other ex-<br />
.tremely l<strong>et</strong>hal chemicals. He said<br />
~qawi has received medical treatment<br />
In Baghdad and that there are also other'<br />
Za,awi bri~<strong>de</strong>s op~ting in Baghdad.<br />
Fro!D hIS ~rro~t n<strong>et</strong>work in Iraq, .<br />
ZaqaWl can direct hIS terrorist n<strong>et</strong>work<br />
in.the Middle East and beyond." Powell<br />
~Id He also accused Zaqawi of provid- .<br />
Ing money and weapons used in the<br />
ki!ling of Lawrence Foley. an employee<br />
WIththe Agency for International Development,<br />
in Amman, Jordan last October.<br />
He noted that "Al Q.aeda continues to<br />
have <strong>de</strong>ep interest in acquiring weapOns<br />
of mass <strong>de</strong>struction" and that Qaeda operatives<br />
trained with chemical weapons<br />
in Iraq b<strong>et</strong>ween 1997and 2000.<br />
Po,,:~ll presented. satellite photos of<br />
. the.':fap~apons facIlity. one of 65 such<br />
facIllt.les In Iraq that he said houses<br />
chemIcal weapons. He said Taji is home<br />
to 15 active chemical munitions<br />
bunkers. and that soldiers relocated<br />
munitio~s ju~t b~for~ weapons inspectors<br />
amved. indicating that the Iraqis<br />
had advance knowledge of the inspectors'<br />
schedule. He ad<strong>de</strong>d that the White<br />
Hous~ ~ observ~~ "this type ofhousecleanmg<br />
at 30 mIlItary sites.<br />
He also said the Iraqis' have limited<br />
acces~ to their scientists. going so far as<br />
. ~arnIng "the~ that providing informa-<br />
'.tU:lnwas pUnIshable by <strong>de</strong>ath" and creat~ng<br />
~ fal~e <strong>de</strong>ath certificate for one<br />
sCientist who was then sent into hiding.<br />
. Powell brandished a small tube, not-<br />
Ing ~t less than a teaspoon of anthrax<br />
had killed two postal workers in 200L He<br />
said Iraq <strong>de</strong>clared it had 8.500 liters of<br />
anthrax in 1995,while weapons inspectors<br />
estimated that Iraq had 35.000 liters<br />
and that Iraq had not accounted for "even<br />
one teaspoonful" of anthrax since then.<br />
He said that Iraq has a total stockpile of<br />
100to 500 tons of chemical agents.<br />
He said Iraqi informants said Baghd~d<br />
~ 18trucks that it uses as mobile<br />
biologIcal weapons labs and played a<br />
!aped ~ommuniq,:,-éof a few weeks ago<br />
m whIch an IraqI officer i<strong>de</strong>ntified as<br />
Captain Ibrahim told a colonel to remove<br />
the expression "nerve agents"<br />
where.ver "it comes up" in wireless instr~cti.o~<br />
sha~ed by the military.<br />
. This ~s ~Vl<strong>de</strong>nce, not conjecture,"<br />
Powell said. Why should any of us give<br />
Iraq the benefit of the doubt? I don't."<br />
u.s. and Europe discuss<br />
·plans for postwar Iraq ..<br />
Reconstruction costs put on fast track..<br />
By Thomas Fuller<br />
International Herald 1\ibune<br />
BRUSSELS: Although many Euro-:,<br />
pean lea<strong>de</strong>rs continue to insist that war<br />
with Iraq is not inevitable, a senior U.S.<br />
.diplomat said Thursday that negotiations<br />
with European countries about<br />
paying for recOnstruction in a pOst-Sad~<br />
dam Iraq were proceeding at a quick<br />
; pace.<br />
. "There are very. very active discus-<br />
SIOns b<strong>et</strong>ween the United States and<br />
Europe. about a post-Saddam action<br />
plan," Rockwell Schnabel. the U.S. am- :<br />
bas~ador ~oth: European Union; said in<br />
all InterVIeW,. That, of cour,;e .involves<br />
all so~s of things. including financial<br />
commItments."<br />
. European officials have attempted to<br />
play down the i<strong>de</strong>a of planning for a<br />
pos~ar Iraq because they, say they<br />
want to avoid the impression that waris<br />
a foregone conclusion.<br />
. Officials are discussing such things<br />
as who will supply medical supplies<br />
and food to Iraq and the logistics of ins~lling<br />
new pOWer grids. Schnabel'<br />
saldL<br />
'<br />
. In contrast with the Gulf War a <strong>de</strong>ga<strong>de</strong><br />
ago. the negotiations over who<br />
'pay~ for what bave been much lower<br />
p~.file, diplomats and analysts say.<br />
~artly because of the political sensitiVItIes<br />
In Europe where a majority of<br />
people s~y they oppose the war.<br />
14