U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said Tuesday that Security Council members had criticized the United States for breaking ranks and grabbing Iraq's report on its weapons programs, intended only for weapons inspectors.
However, he rejected charges that by allowing the maneuver the United Nations had proved it was Washington's puppet, Reuters said.
"It was unfortunate and I hope it is not going to be repeated," Annan said of the way the U.S. had circumvented the U.N.'s decision. "But I should also say that for those who maintain that the U.N. is being pushed around by the United States, I will remind them to look back to the eight-week period when we were discussing this issue and Washington was quite frustrated that things were not moving fast enough."
As part of the decision to give the United States the document, Washington was put in charge of making duplicates for its four fellow permanent members of the Security Council, Britain, China, France and Russia.
Meanwhile, in a brief meeting Tuesday with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of Turkey's new ruling political party, U.S. President Bush said U.S. access to Turkish bases could actually help avert war. At the same time, the president wooed Turkey with a spirited boost for the NATO ally's bid to join the European Union.
Erdogan told reporters after his meetings that discussion of Iraq was limited to talks on defusing the conflict through peaceful means. "The president ... believes very strongly that the stronger the world is, the greater the chance of averting war, because Saddam Hussein will, indeed, react to that strength and pressure," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.
Bush pressed that argument to Erdogan, saying Turkey's acquiescence on the troop and base issues would help convince the Iraqi ruler the world is serious about disarming him, a senior White House official said. Bush also promised Erdogan that any war would be swift and victorious, the official added.
During the meeting, Bush also reminded Erdogan that if there is war, the United States would insist that Turkey not move into the adjoining Kurdish territories of Iraq. "The United States is committed to making certain that Iraq is whole," Fleischer said.
In Baghdad, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein said Tuesday Iraq's enemies would be defeated. "Your heads will be held aloft in dignity and, God willing, your enemy will be defeated and humiliated," Saddam, quoted by Iraq's state television, told senior ministers and high-ranking military officers said.
Saddam said military action was despised, but in war man had two options: "One can lose his cause, honor and the honor of his country, future generations and his principles. Or he holds on to his faith and advances." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
