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Frenchies want Arab League support at UN...
Paris is seeking Arab League support for the Franco-German proposals to extend the UN arms inspections in Iraq, Franceâs ambassador to Lebanon said yesterday as US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld refused to rule out the US use of nuclear weapons in the possible war with Iraq. âWe have asked the minister to take note of the joint statement and, as far as possible, to take it up in the name of the Arab League, to draw from it or support it,â Philippe Lecourtier said after talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud, whose country is the current League president. âThis statement called for the continuation of inspections, a strengthening of the inspection process and, of course, requiring greater Iraqi cooperation with the UN inspectors.â If they'd done that in the first place, the entire crisis would have been defused and we wouldn't be hollering now, would we? The ambassador said the aim was âto give every chance for peace and disarmament, and to go to the end with the logic of 1441â, the UN Security Council resolution setting the terms of Iraqâs disarmament. Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin said there were signs of increased cooperation from Baghdad and that this strengthened the case for giving the experts more time. Doesn't that make the Arab League feel special? I'm sure their support will be full and unqualified. Well, full, anyway. Posted by: Fred Pruitt 2003-02-14 |
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