Iraq News by Laurie Mylroie
The central focus of Iraq News is the tension between the considerable, proscribed WMD capabilities that Iraq is holding on to and its increasing stridency that it has complied with UNSCR 687 and it is time to lift sanctions. If you wish to receive Iraq News by email, a service which includes full-text of news reports not archived here, send your request to Laurie Mylroie .
IRAQ NEWS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1999
I. IRAQ NAT'L ASSEMBLY CALLS ON SAUDIS TO CUT OIL PRODUCTION, INA FEB 24
II. VICIOUS ATTACK ON SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT, US, UK, AL-THAWRA, FEB 14
III. VICIOUS ATTACK ON SAUDI ARABIA, AL-JUMHURIYA, FEB 17
IV. THREATS TO SAUDI ARABIA AND KUWAIT, AL-IRAQ, FEB 18
V. MORE THREATS, AL-QADISIYAH, FEB 18
VI. NO FLY ZONES ARE INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM, AL-THAWRAH, FEB 21
In a Feb 24 press conference with Ghana's president, Clinton was
asked, "There's been another incident again today. And this certainly
seems to be an ongoing recurrence. And I'm just wondering if, perhaps,
you can clarify for us what the US policy objective is on Iraq? And
have we given up all hope of any kind of arms inspections again?"
Clinton replied, "On Iraq, you asked two questions. Let me take the
second question first. No, we have not given up on the prospect of
restoring inspections. But since Saddam Hussein terminated his
cooperation with UNSCOM and then the military action was taken by the
United States, Great Britain, with the support of our allies, they have
continued to defy the U.N., and that's where we are now. That brings us
back to your first question.
"What's going on with these incidents is that under the United
Nations resolutions, which are still in place, the no-fly zone still
exists. The no-fly zone has to be patrolled. When it is patrolled by
American and British pilots, from time to time, as you pointed out,
there have now been several instances when Israeli air defense--excuse
me, Iraqi air defense weapons have been fired at our airplanes. And
they're trying, obviously, for the symbolic victory of shooting one of
these planes down, and perhaps trying to intimidate us from enforcing
the no-fly zone, which we're still bound to do under the United Nations
resolution.
"Now, in response to that, we have certain rules of engagement which
permit us to take out the air defense. And we have done quite a lot of
it. . . .
"And I regret this. You know, I regret this. I wish he would stop
doing that. I wish he would make an agreement with the United Nations to
let the inspections go back. We have shown that we are not interested in
hurting the Iraqi people. We have been for broader rules for meeting the
non-military needs of the people of Iraq and we will continue to work at
that.
"But these little encounters -- each of them so far has been
relatively small -- are as a result of the fact that we are still,
notwithstanding the fact that the inspectors aren't there, bound to
enforce a no-fly zone which still exists under the U.N. resolutions."
The claim that the no-fly zones rely on UNSC resolutions is shaky.
UNSCR 688 [Apr 5 1991], which calls on the Iraqi regime to cease the
repression of its population, was invoked when the US, UK, and France
[the Mitterand Gov't] undertook Operation Provide Comfort shortly
thereafter. The southern no-fly zone was imposed a year later,
following a meeting between senior Bush administration officials and the
INC leadership, at a time of especially severe repression in the south.
The Bush administration did not ask the UNSC for permission; it just
declared the no-fly zone.
Several readers have asked what is the objective of the US strikes,
echoing the comment of a "senior uniformed official," cited in the NYT,
Feb 21, "I wish I knew where all of this played out."
One reader suggested that the administration believes the strikes are
a way to promote unrest in the military and a military insurrection/
coup. And if that doesn't happen, in the administration's calculation,
then Iraq's military will have been degraded in advance of whatever is
to come next.
Finally, "Iraq News" can only underscore that the Iraqi challenges
are not simply about shooting down a US airplane. Saddam has something
much bigger in mind.
On Feb 24, as INA reported, the Iraqi Nat'l Assembly called on Saudi
Arabia to reduce oil exports by 2 million b/d "as a first step, to be
followed by other cuts to improve oil prices. . . . The Assembly
stressed that Saudi Arabia should abandon the policy of flooding the oil
market with additional quantities in excess of the OPEC output ceiling."
Nat'l Assembly speaker, Sa'dun Hammadi, "stressed that the problems
suffered by the international oil market are an important event in the
life of the Arab nation, as this poses serious threats to Arab economies
and future programs. He referred to Saudi Arabia's conspiratorial role
in flooding the oil market." Oil Minister, Amir Rashid, said "that the
United States seeks to impose its hostile policy so as to harm the Iraqi
economy through the continued flooding of the oil market . . . He held
Saudi Arabia responsible for the deteriorating oil prices."
The official Iraqi press has, of late, been unusually vicious and
violent, attacking Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the US/UK. It seemed
useful to review a number of those articles, in addition to those cited
in "Iraq News," Feb 24.
An article, Feb 14, in Al-Thawrah [formally the Ba'th party paper],
began, "We will confront them and we will hit them even with stones, in
spite of the fact that some eyeballs might pop out there and some mouths
might ooze with a foul smell. How can a small country like Iraq fight
the United States and Britain? . . .
"The United States is not the urgent fate that snatches souls, and it
cannot even create an ant. We will confront them and attack them even
with stones and we will not retreat and the United States does not
frighten us, even if the entire people have to turn into anti-aircraft
guns. . .
"The Iraqi giant was the genie that escaped from the bottle of fear
of the United States and its threat of using force and it has not found
a single reason for fearing this threat. Furthermore, the Yugoslavs
have adopted the strategic lesson of Iraq and ridiculed the threats. We
will confront them and we will hit them, even with stones. Why? We do
it, because they have ridiculed earthly and divine laws and have come
without any earthly or divine authorization to attack our sovereignty,
people, and security. . . . Let the broken eyes pop out and let the
evil mouths pour out on the most important facts of the present time."
In other words, the US is human and it is in violation of earthly
[presumably UNSC] and divine law. Iraq will set an example, for itself,
and others, and show it is possible to confront the US, the world's
only superpower, whom so many fear to cross.
A front page article appeared Feb 17, in Al-Jumhuriyah [formally the
Gov't paper], entitled, "The Saudi Rulers and the Satan's Whims." It
expanded on the Iraqi leadership's Feb 14 statement [see "Iraq News,"
Feb 14 & 24]. "The statement issued after the Iraqi leadership's meeting
on Sunday, which examined the current situation and the confrontation of
the US-British aggression on our national airspace with the practical
help and participation of the Saudi and Kuwaiti rulers, did not only aim
to recall the seriousness of this situation and its repercussion on the
state of affairs in the region, particularly on the sources and means of
the aggression, but it also had clear implications and objectives.
"This statement cautioned the rulers in Najd, al-Hijaz, and Kuwait
that they should stop their detestable hostility, which is doing further
harm to Iraq and killing more Iraqi women, men, children, and old
people. . . .
"Given the fact that the Saudi and Kuwaiti rulers have for many years
been showing this erratic hostility and drowning themselves in sins up
to their rotten heads--because they pretend to be affiliated with
tolerant Islam, which has nothing to do with them--they are now living
in the corners of the Satan, treason, humiliation, and corruption. . . .
"We say that the hostile, treacherous, and lowly conduct of the Najd
and al-Hijaz rulers practically removes the sanctity of the holy land
because it was turned into a scene for the infidel Americans and their
British allies who use this land as a springboard for the daily attacks
on the sincere believers in great Iraq. . . . We do not know how the
Saudi ruler can call himself the custodian of the two holy mosques at a
time when events as well as his own hostility, rancor, treachery and all
his actions prove that he is actually the custodian of hateful Zionism
and of the despotic state and its erratic administration. . . .
"Let these ones and others know that the anger of an ignorant one
appears in his words, while the anger of a sensible one appears in his
deeds."
A front page article, Feb 18, in Al-Iraq [formally the Kurdish
paper], also reiterated the Feb 14 leadership statement, "The details,
expression, and purport of the Iraqi leadership's statement are clear:
The statement aims to enlighten the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait
and counsel them to stop treading the dark path and concocting
conspiracies, and to refrain from . . . targeting Iraq and the Iraqi
people and exposing Iraq's national fate and sovereignty and the
security of its people to dangers with dire consequences. . . . The
Iraqi leadership confirmed in its statement that the leaders of Saudi
Arabia and Kuwait are following a dangerous and destructive course. . .
The honest Iraqi leadership is clear in all its actions and statements."
An article, Feb 18, in Al-Thawrah, also reiterated the
leadership statement. It said, "The Iraqi statement issued on 14
February was adequately clear, unequivocal, and unambigious. It
cautioned, enlightened, and advised Jabir [the Kuwaiti emir] and other
Kuwaiti and Saudi rulers. . . . The statement pointed out to these
rulers that they are involving themselves in a detestable war of
aggression in which the people in Kuwait, Najd, and al-Hijaz have no
interest at all. It added that by so doing and by persisting in joining
this war, these rulers only widen the sea of blood between them and the
Iraqi people."
A front page article, Feb 18, in Al-Qadisiyah [formally the military
paper] also reiterated the leadership statement. It said, "Iraq has
cautioned the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and explained the
seriousness of their participation in this clear and blatant aggression
against Iraq and of the ability of Iraq to continue to defend itself and
to reach the sources and means of aggression. When it did that, the
United States quickly portrayed this caution as a threat by Iraq.
Allbright launched her futile threats of a swift and firm response to
Iraqi threats to attack the air bases in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait from
where the US and British aircraft take off to attack Iraq . . .
"Furthermore, the Zionist Jew, Sandy Berger, US national security
adviser, also commented on the caution that Iraq addressed to the
leaders of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. . . . He warned Iraq against this
and threatened it with what he called the consequences of its position.
"Thus, we have the US contentiousness and feverish endeavors to
impose the US hegemony over the entire world and some have submitted to
the United States and bowed to its demands of implementing its hostile
schemes against Iraq. . . . [But] the Iraqi lesson of heroic
steadfastness is also robbing the United States of its sleep because it
has opened the door wide for the growing struggle of the nations against
US hegemony, thus tightening its isolation and exposing its hostile aims
to strangulate the free will of the nations. This will of the nations
will free itself from its chains and tear apart the arms of the US
octopus. Tomorrow is not far."
Nuri al-Marsoumi, Information Ministry Undersecretary, also
underscored the Iraqi leadership statement. He wrote in Al-Iraq, Feb
20, "The world also knows that the Kuwaiti rulers extend to the forces
of aggression all facilities and needs, without which the aggressors
would find it difficult to launch their hostile raids. Iraq has
cautioned the rulers of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that so doing is
tantamount to declaring a detestable war against Iraq, adding that the
basic rights of the country subjected to aggression include the right to
confront the aggressors inside its national boundaries and also outside
them, where the bases of the aggression lie. . . .
"The attempt by the Kuwaiti rulers, along with the Saudi rulers, to
reverse facts, influence Arab governments, and pressure them into taking
positions conflicting with their national and pan-Arab interests and
conforming to the US and Zionist objectives and to the interests of the
ruling entourage in Kuwait and Najd and Hijaz is an exposed attempt that
cannot fool anyone. . . . Continuing this kind of profession and
deriving pleasure from it in international relations, especially when it
coincides with and serves a military aggression, requires a strong
action that brings the deceivers and falsifiers to their senses!! . . .
"We advise the Kuwaiti rulers, along with the Saudi rulers, to come
to their sense and focus on the interests of our [Arab] people in Kuwait
and Najd and Hijaz, as well as to disassociate themselves from the
alliance of the evil ones and return to their Arab nation. Otherwise, a
just punishment will await and befit them."
Finally, on Feb 21, an article in Al-Thawrah equated the no-fly zones
with international terrorism. It said that the US "wants to turn the
no-fly zones into yet another tool to kill the Iraqis. . . This
hallucinating administration saw no option before it but to turn the
no-fly zones into a dirty weapon to spread savage terrorism and blind
revenge. . . . With this vengeful barbarism, the US and British planes
are daily and intensively violating the sanctity of Iraqi air space.
These planes are committing deliberate and organized provocations and
hurling their bombs and missiles at towns, civilian installations, and
residential areas in order to kill in cold blood more civilians from the
sons of the struggling Iraqi people. These are crimes that fall under
the category of organized international terrorism. The murder of
innocent civilians, including children, women, and elderly; the
destruction of homes over the heads of their inhabitants; and the
endangering of the lives and peace of mind of our steadfast people in
the northern and southern regions is the epitome of international
terrorism."
I. IRAQ NAT'L ASSEMBLY CALLS ON SAUDIS TO CUT OIL PRODUCTION
Baghdad INA in Arabic 1148 GMT 24 Feb 99
[FBIS Translated Text] Baghdad, 24 Feb (INA) -- The Iraqi National
Assembly asked the Saudi Government to reduce its oil exports by 2
million barrels per day as a first step, to be followed by other
cuts to improve oil prices in the international market.
That came in an expanded meeting organized by three standing National
Assembly committees. They are the Oil and Energy, Finance and Planning,
and Arab and International Relations Committees. The meeting was
attended by Assembly Speaker Dr. Sa'dun Hammadi and Oil Minister Dr.
'Amir Muhammad Rashid. The Assembly stressed that Saudi Arabia should
abandon the policy of flooding the oil market with additional quantities
in excess of the OPEC output ceiling. The assembly stressed the need to
maintain the purchasing power of the oil barrel, preserve the Arab oil
wealth, and place it in the service of development programs and pan-Arab
issues.
The Conferees recommended that Arab parliaments and the parliaments
of OPEC and OAPEC [Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries]
member states be informed of the serious decline in the oil prices and
that Saudi Arabia be requested to reduce its output at a rate that leads
to improving the oil prices.
The meeting was addressed earlier by National Assembly Speaker Sa'dun
Hammadi. He stressed that the problems suffered by the international oil
market are an important event in the life of the Arab nation, as this
poses serious threats to the Arab economies and future programs.
He referred to Saudi Arabia's conspiratorial role of flooding the oil
market with additional quantities, leading to a continued decline in
prices.
In his speech, Oil Minister Dr. 'Amir Muhammad Rashid said that the
United States seeks to impose its hostile policy so as to harm the Iraqi
economy through the continued flooding of the oil market with additional
quantities. He held Saudi Arabia responsible for the deteriorating oil
prices in view of its policy of flooding the oil market with large
quantities in excess of its OPEC quota, thus leading to a substantial
decline in the oil countries' revenues.
The minister said the huge oil reserve stockpiled by the major
industrial countries at the present time is a major obstacle to
expediting steps to improve the oil prices, which these countries
currently seek to attain.
The oil minister said there is a need to mobilize OPEC countries'
efforts to seek a way out of this crisis the world oil market faces and
work to adopt expeditious steps to improve oil prices.
Dr. Mundhir Wardi al-Allusi, chairman of the Assembly's Oil and
Energy Committee, said that if there is to be a gradual increase in the
oil prices, Saudi Arabia must cut down on its current production level
and return to the ceiling that the July 1995 OPEC meeting set for member
countries and in a manner that safeguards the oil market's stability.
Dr. Rasul Radi al-Harbi, chairman of the Assembly's Financial and
Planning Committee, reviewed the dangerous role the United States played
when it entered into an alliance with Saudi Arabia to control the oil
resources, increase its oil reserve, and work to reduce oil prices on
the international market, thus harming the economies of the oil-
producing countries.
As for Khalid Shihab al-Duri, chairman of the Assembly's Arab and
Foreign Relations Committee, he called for intensifying efforts and
carrying out joint work to save the oil market from the perils engulfing
it as a result of the Saudi policy, which implements US plans to plunder
the resources of the people.
The meeting was attended by several former oil ministers, the deputy
speaker of the National Assembly, the under secretary of the Oil
Ministry, the chairmen of the Assembly's standing committees, and oil
and energy experts.
II. VICIOUS ATTACK ON SAUDI ARABIA, KUWAIT, US, UK
Baghdad Al-Thawrah in Arabic 14 Feb 99 p 8
[Article by Husayn al-Sharhabli: "May God Give You Long Life and Protect
You"]
[FBIS Translated Text] We will confront them and we will hit them even
with stones in spite of the fact that some eyeballs might pop out there
and some mouths might ooze with a foul smell. How can a small country
like Iraq fight the United States and Britain and attack their aircraft?
They would say that the Iraqis are blessed, radicals, and Saddamists. We
respond to them in kind with our weapons that are engaging their
aircraft that are launching the aggression against our national
sovereignty and security and even with our pilots, ground-to-air
missiles, or anti-aircraft fire.
Yes, we are Saddamists and the United States is not the urgent fate
that snatches the souls and it cannot even create an ant. We will
confront them and attack them even with stones and we will not retreat
and the United States does not frighten us even if the entire people
have to turn into anti-aircraft guns. We will install anti-aircraft guns
atop the roofs of our homes and the mosques, churches, factories, and
schools and on top of every palm tree and in fact we will strap these
anti-aircraft guns to every palm tree. Let those know that this is
victory and this is its real taste. By God, what do we call the
admission and denial by the Pentagon about the clashes with our valiant
air defenses? They would admit in their official military reports that
their aircraft had come under fire from the Iraqi air defenses and then
they would deny that any of aircraft had been hit. They would come back
and affirm that their aircraft had dropped their payload of missiles and
returned safely to base, which means they were defeated and had fled.
Who is afraid of whom? Who has defeated whom? Does this not mean that we
have actually triumphed over this US elephant? Does this not mean that
its aircraft are fleeing and scared in the face of the Iraqi resistance?
The United States is becoming smaller in the eyes of the world on a
daily basis, God willing, and it has actually become smaller in reality.
The Iraqi giant was the genie that escaped from the bottle of fear
of the United States and its threat of using force and it has not found
a single reason for fearing this threat. Furthermore, the Yugoslavs have
adopted the strategic lesson of Iraq and ridiculed the threats. We will
confront them and we will hit them even with stones. Why? We do it
because they have ridiculed earthly and divine laws and have come
without any earthly or divine authorization to attack our sovereignty,
people, and security. Who has given them such authorization and with
what right? For even the Security Council and its evil resolutions,
whether in text or reference, against Iraq came nowhere near this
subject. Therefore, we are entitled to resist them and confront their
desecrated aircraft that try to desecrate the pure Iraqi sovereignty.
Thus, it is our right and the right of the Arabs and every human being
to warmly applaud the brave and their missiles that are directed against
the US-British desecration. They have been defeated and this is victory
for you. We will confront them and we will attack them even with stones
and yes this is a heroic action; however, we are still in good shape and
our resistance, missiles, and pilots are in very good shape and our
insistence on extricating the victory from them is becoming stronger and
more determined. Let the broken eyes pop out and let the evil mouths
pour out on the most important facts of the present time. My God give
you long life and protect Iraq.
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