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| Axis of Evil |
| In fear of war: Diplomats start to leave Baghdad |
| 2003-01-23 |
| The fear of war has led a few embassies in Baghdad to send dependents home or to shut down completely, diplomats in Iraq said Thursday. "There have been general discussions about evacuation in the diplomatic community, but the decisions are individual ones by individual embassies," said Ambassador Manzar Shafiq of Pakistan, according to AP. Diplomats in only a minority of the estimated 40 embassies have any family members residing here, he conveyed. The Pakistani official said several south and east Asian embassies have shut down partly or completely, and other missions are considering evacuating in early to mid-February. Don't wait until the last minute, folks He noted that Baghdad ambassadors are waiting to see the content and reaction to the U.N. weapons inspectors' report to the U.N. Security Council next Monday, when they will assess their progress and Iraqi cooperation in the hunt for any forbidden Iraqi arms. That report may determine how much international support Washington would have for a military option. In New Delhi, India's Foreign Ministry said its diplomats are not leaving Baghdad. Russia said Thursday that it has made no decision to withdraw diplomats or their dependents from Baghdad. Meanwhile, Japan has issued a warning for its citizens in Baghdad to evacuate the city. It has also recommended all others to put off travelling to the Iraqi capital. Japan's Foreign Ministry has already warned Japanese they should evacuate all areas of Iraq outside the capital. "Tensions in the Persian Gulf are rising over the inspections regarding Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. It is unclear what will transpire, but the situation may deteriorate suddenly," it said. Now that is a understatement! "We recommend evacuating voluntarily, given obstacles to leaving Iraq may arise due to a sudden change in circumstances," it added. "Roads and bridges may be congested with burning vehicles, and there is expected to be heavy air traffic causing flight delays." |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #3 Everyone should take a cue from Japan: They know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of the US military. "Been there, done that, don't want to go back..." |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-01-23 14:45:42 |
| #2 ...and the French. Remember Libya? |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-01-23 13:59:56 |
| #1 I hope the Chinese embassy has taken an extended holiday. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-01-23 13:31:09 |