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03 September 2002

Annan Meeting with Iraqi Yields No Progress

(Efforts to get weapons inspections still stalled) (430)
By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- A meeting between Secretary General Kofi Annan and
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz September 3 did little to
advance the UN's objective of getting weapons inspectors back into
Iraq.
In a CNN interview Annan said that "at this stage I cannot say they've
(Iraq) taken a decision to allow inspectors. They would want to have
an assurance that things would be different this time."
"Also the fact that there's a threat of military action, (Tariq Aziz)
is not sure what difference allowing the inspectors would make," the
secretary general added.
The two met while attending the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable
Development "since both are in the same city," according to a UN press
statement. "This meeting was part of the ongoing dialogue between the
UN and the Iraqi authorities aimed at agreeing on the return of
inspectors to Iraq which in turn will lead to a comprehensive
solution, including the lifting of sanctions."
Since March there has been a total of three meetings between UN and
Iraqi officials, two in New York and one in Vienna.
UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said at the regular UN briefing in New York
that the first item on the agenda of the secretary general's meeting
with Tariq Aziz September 3 was the return of weapons inspectors -- as
has been the case in the previous sessions.
"The first item on the secretary general's agenda was the return of
inspectors. That's what the Security Council expects will happen and
that's a necessary first step for any progress to be made on the
lifting of sanctions," Eckhard said.
The spokesman also said that the secretary general is not in a
position to give assurances.
"This matter in not between him and Iraq," Eckhard said. "It is
between the Security Council and Iraq. The council has given him their
blessing to carry on a dialogue with the Iraqis."
On the matter of the conduct of UN inspectors, the spokesman said, the
secretary general "has gone a long way to assure the Iraqis that the
inspectors will carry out their work in a professional way; that they
are all international civil servants reporting directly to Hans Blix
the head of UNMOVIC. But he is not in a position to make any
commitments on behalf of Security Council members."
Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri has also requested a meeting with
the secretary general later in the month when the foreign minister
will be attending the opening of the General Assembly. No date has
been set for the meeting as yet, Eckhard said.
(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)