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, TUESDAY, MARCH 2, 1999
I. AL-QADISIYAH, CALLS FOR ARAB ACTION AGAINST US, UK, FEB 27
"Iraq News" is preparing a summary and analysis of Baghdad's efforts
since 1993 to lift the embargo and otherwise undermine the anti-Iraq
coalition. That work is intended to underscore the seriousness of the
Feb 14 Iraqi leadership statement [see "Iraq News," Feb 14, 22, and 24].
Meanwhile, Iraq's hostile, and threatening, media campaign continues.
Over the weekend, Baghdad hosted a conference of Arab trade unionists
and professional organizations, whatever that quite entails.
On Sat, Feb 27, Al-Qadisiyah called on the Arabs to help lift the
embargo. It wrote, "What is required now is to deal strong blows to US
and British interests. These blows should be strong enough to make them
feel that their interests are indeed threatened, not only by words, but
also in deeds. 'Act and God, His Prophet, and the Believers will witness
your deeds.' God is with you."
I. AL-QADISIYAH, CALLS FOR ARAB ACTION AGAINST US, UK
Baghdad Al-Qadisiyah in Arabic 27 Feb 99 p 3
[Article by Mahmud 'Arab Sa'id: "What Have the Arabs Done To Lift the
Unjust Siege Imposed on Iraq?"]
[FBIS Translated Text] Apart from sentiments and appeals and apart from
expressions of condemnation and denunciation, what have the Arabs
offered Iraq, the fraternal Arab Muslim country, over the past eight
years? The Arab citizen is wondering what Iraq was offered by his fellow
Arabs although every one knows that Iraq has written and is re-writing
history with lofty and pure pages unparalleled except by the loftiness
and glory of our forefathers. Iraq has given the Arabs everything
without begrudging anything and without expecting anything in return.
Iraq considers this its destiny; Iraq is working to safeguard its Arab
nation's existence and the destiny of the entire Arab nation by
confronting the most vicious colonialist onslaught masterminded by the
United States.
God Almighty enjoins us to "tell the truth and spread the word of
righteousness; whoever wants to believe, let him believe" [Koranic
verse]. In abidance with God's injunctions and out of our desire to tell
the truth -- especially at this particular juncture through which the
Arab and Muslim nations are passing -- the need to be frank with our
people and nation have become more necessary than ever. We should call a
spade a spade; we should end the state of indifference, despair, and
fear that our masses are experiencing. We should do this in order to
energize the masses and mobilize their potentials so they would assert
their effective presence to wage the battle of destiny raging between
the nation and its enemies.
The war against Iraq -- the military aggression and the economic
siege that has been going on for more than eight years -- is a new
western crusader war led by the United States against the Arabs and
Muslims in the region. It is a crusader war designed to control the Arab
homeland and to target our faith and the banner of Islam {God is Great),
the banner that was hoisted high by Saddam Husayn, the great struggling
leader and the triumphant champion of God. The new crusaders view this
faith and banner as an embodiment of the rejection of their hegemony and
the Zionist presence in the region. This Zionist presence is being used
by the United States as a weapon to implement its buried hatred and to
complete its design to divide the region further having established the
Zionist entity on the land of Palestine and after usurping Jerusalem and
controlling the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Hence, all Arab stands should be distinctly different from the stands
of US hegemony. The embargo on the Iraqi air force was enforced by the
United States and Britain and it has nothing to do with the alleged
international legitimacy. Why do they not apply international legitimacy
on the crimes of the Zionist enemy who has usurped the land and
committed acts of aggression and deliberate humiliation of the Arabs in
Palestine and elsewhere?
Islam and Arabism stand for valor and bravery; they reject
humiliation and disgrace. Life is a stand of glory and honor and the
people support this stand. They [Arab rulers] should express the opinion
and conscience of the people by taking just stands and by translating
words into deeds so that history would remember them with luminescent
words. It is not an Arab nor a Muslim who does not defend the land of
the Arabs and the people of Iraq who are the brothers of every Arab and
Muslim nation. What is required now is to deal strong blows to US and
British interests. These blows should be strong enough to make them feel
that their interests are indeed threatened not only by words but also in
deeds.
"Act and God, His prophet, and the Believers will witness your deeds"
[Koranic verse]. God is with you.
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