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SHAPE News Morning Update
3
March 2003
IRAQ
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U.S.-Turkish relations strained after parliament snubs
U.S. troops
- Iraq
destroys more missiles, but says it may stop if U.S.
wants war
- U.S.
may lose interest in Iraq after war – analysts
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NATO
- NATO
chief says troops won’t be redeployed to Eastern
Europe
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IRAK
- A
top member of Turkey’s governing party rejected a quick
new vote on letting U.S. troops use the country to open a
northern front against Iraq – a second harsh blow to
U.S. war planners in as many days. After a revolt
in its ranks Saturday, the Islamic-rooted ruling party is
in disarray, torn between popular opposition to war and fears
of possible lasting damage to the historically close ties
with Washington. Turkish Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis
told reporters that leaders would decide what to do about
the motion after a “process of evaluation” was
completed. He said he did not know how long that
process could take. Prime Minister Abdullah Gul spoke with
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Sunday about the deployment
of U.S. troops. According to a written statement from the
prime minister’s office, Powell thanked the government
for its efforts on the motion and “emphasized
that relations between friends Turkey and the United States
were solid.” The two leaders also “agreed
to keep the lines of communication open,” the statement
said. (AP 030140 Mar 03)
- With
UN weapons inspectors looking on, Iraq destroyed six
Al Samoud 2 missiles on Sunday but warned it may suspend the
destruction program if the United States indicates it will
go to war anyway. In two days, Iraq has destroyed
10 of the banned weapons, about a tenth of its stock of the
missiles, which the United Nations has ordered eliminated.
The United States derided the beginning of the destruction
on Saturday. A White House spokeswoman called Iraq’s
move “part of its game of deception.”
(AP 022126 Mar 03)
- A
British think tank warned on Monday that the United States
may soon lose interest in Iraq after a possible war to topple
President Saddam Hussein, leaving the same repressive power
structure in place. A new paper from London’s
Royal Institute of International Affairs said even a swift
victory over Baghdad would be no guarantee of real commitment
to political reforms for Iraqis. “Once the war
has been won, the altruistic explanations for U.S. involvement
in Iraq will have to compete with a U.S. economy in possible
recession and a U.S. public very sensitive to further casualties,”
the paper said. “The long-term, costly and ambitious
reform of Iraq may well be sacrificed to the short-term electoral
politics of the United States,” it added, estimating
3 to 10 years would be needed to tackle Iraq’s underlying
structural political problems. (Reuters 030115 GMT
Mar 03)
NATO
- NATO
Secretary General Lord Robertson on Friday dismissed suggestions
that U.S.-based forces currently in Germany could be deployed
in Eastern Europe, including Poland or the Baltic states.
“I know of no U.S. plans to move forces based in Europe,”
he told a news conference in Riga, the Latvian capital, during
a one-day visit to this NATO-candidate country. (AP 281454
Feb 03)
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