Iraq expects US military strike in spite of UN sanctions regime revision

Published May 19th, 2002 - 03:00 GMT

Iraq expects a United States military strike at any time in spite of its acceptance of a revision of the United Nations sanctions regime, Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said Saturday.

"We are expecting the American administration to launch its attack when it judges that circumstances allow it to realize its underhand objectives" in Iraq, Ramadan told Qatar's Al-Jazeera satellite television channel.

He ruled out any connection between a military strike and the contentious issue of the return to Baghdad of UN weapons inspectors after a three-year break.

"We pay no attention to those who say that the (return) of inspectors is a condition to avoid a strike," he said, adding that the "American administration does not believe in dialogue and mutual interests with other states."

"It is the best formula we could have reached and we decided to work in the framework of this resolution," Ramadan said of UN Security Council resolution 1409, adopted unanimously by the Security Council on Tuesday and accepted by Iraq two days later.

The resolution seeks to free up the delivery of humanitarian supplies while maintaining the arms embargo imposed on Iraq along with trade sanctions in 1990. (Albawaba.com)