04 November 1997
IRAQ AWAITS U.N. ENVOYS BEFORE MOVING AGAINST AMERICAN INSPECTORS
(Secretary general calls move positive, urges restraint by all) (840) By Judy Aita USIA United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- Secretary General Kofi Annan received word from Iraq November 4 that no Americans would be expelled while three U.N. envoys are in the country, a U.N. spokesman announced. The assurance that no American members of U.N. weapons teams would be expelled came in response to a personal intercession by Annan. "The secretary general spoke by phone with Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz this morning and urged him to postpone the Thursday (November 6) deadline that Iraq sought to impose for the expulsion of American members of the U.N. inspections team," U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard said. "The purpose of his request was to provide an opportunity for his three envoys to discuss with the Iraqi authorities the importance of Iraq complying with the Security Council resolutions governing the work of the U.N. team," Eckhard said. "The secretary general welcomes this action as a positive beginning of the talks that will take place starting tomorrow," the spokesman said. "Their task will be both delicate and difficult. Let's all wish them success," Eckhard said. Speaking with journalists, Annan said that "what is important is that (the Iraqis) have agreed to defer. I think it's a good sign and I hope the mission will be able to build on that and come back with good news for all of us," the secretary general said. Annan also urged all involved to work constructively to resolve the crisis and "restrain themselves and give this process a chance." "I have appealed to all concerned that as the talks are going on we should not make any statements that can be provocative, that can be seen as threats and counter-threats, which are not conducive to these kinds of negotiations," the secretary general said. The team is headed by former Algerian Foreign Minister Lakhdar Brahimi, currently U.N. special envoy to Afghanistan, and includes Ambassador Emilio Cardenas of Argentina and Ambassador Jan Eliasson of Sweden, a former U.N. undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. The three envoys are expected to arrive in Baghdad November 5 on a U.N. flight from Kuwait. Their first meeting is scheduled to start at the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the afternoon. Arriving in Kuwait, Eliasson told journalists that the three "are not going there to negotiate. We are delivering a message." "I am confident the message will be understood. I also hope that it will be heeded," Eliasson said. The secretary general also met with the ambassadors of China, Egypt, France, Poland and Russia -- members of the Security Council with embassies in Baghdad -- to discuss the three envoys' visit. Poland represents the U.S. in Baghdad; Russia represents the U.K. In other developments November 4, Iraq blocked three more U.N. inspections because Americans were part of the teams. Richard Butler, chairman of the Special Commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons (UNSCOM), informed the council that three inspection teams -- one on missiles, one on chemical weapons, and one on biological weapons -- departed the commission's Baghdad headquarters for inspection sites. On arrival at the sites Iraqi officials told them that they could continue their inspections but not with U.S. nationals. Under the circumstances, the teams could not proceed with their inspections and returned to headquarters, Eckhard said. "We recognize the fact that Iraq has put us on notice ... we don't recognize that this is in any way consistent with Iraq's obligations under the Security Council resolutions," Eckhard also said. Another issue that has not been mentioned by the secretary general or his spokesman was Iraq's threat to shoot down the U-2 reconnaissance flight by the United States for UNSCOM scheduled for this week. U.S. defense Secretary William Cohen refused to speculate on what the U.S. response will be or whether the flight will have jet escort. But Cohen indicated that he believed the U-2 flight should go ahead as planned. "We would hope that they will listen very carefully to the message that will be delivered by the U.N. team that's on its way to Iraq and that they would see the wisdom of abiding by the current inspection regime," Cohen said. "Failure to do so obviously carries consequences, and that would be up to the United Nations to determine those consequences," the secretary said. In a television interview November 3, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Bill Richardson also said that it is important that the flight proceed as planned. "What Saddam Hussein is trying to do is not just hamper the work of the inspectors on the ground by picking and choosing who can and who can't inspect, now he's dealing with the essential technological mission of the U.N. inspection team. He's making it impossible for them to do their work," Richardson said.
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