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this is a summary of events- I have only used one paper, the GUardian, due to time restraints... 3/2/98 USA/GB claim Iraq will let UNSCOM into 8 palaces Iraq deny this Russia say SH will talk to Butler/UNSCOM Iraq deny this USA does not want this talk to take place anyway. Says they will support UN proposal to inc oil for food from $2bn to $5.2bn. trying to get Turkish support for air strike. 4/2/98 Arab League criticise USA/GB Iraq talking with Kofi Annan GB want SH Òdealt withÓ Jordan/Kuwait/Bahrain pursuaded to blame Iraq for impasse Saudi Arabia will not let US use their air bases GB seeking to get UN to make resolution that Iraq will be attacked if it does not comply US prepared to attck without new resolution Chief Humanitarian Officer of UN, DennisHalliday- agrees that even if Baghdad agrees to new food for oil deal, it will take time to end malnutrition. Situation is worse than one year ago. Threat of strikes is affecting UN monitoring of food for oil. Iraq says food for oil is plot to milk its oil resources. food for oil increase also increases reparation costs 5/2/98 UNSCOM admits to not knowing where the weapons stores are Egypt says Iraq has agreed to a compromisew/UNSCOM UNSCOM rejects this, not enough to inspect some of some sites 6/2/98 Russia/France/China will block attempts by USA GB hint action will take place nr 14th Feb USA sending more military forces believes it needs no further legal justification or Security Council resolution. GB trying to draft a resolution to overcome this Iraq releases all Arabs from its jails Saudi Arabia conditional support for strikes Kuwait full backing for strikes Cook ÒIraq is a lively coalition of different groups. If there is a vaccuum- in a way that frankly we might welcome- there could be consequences for the break up of IraqÓ later modifies this- wants Iraq to stay a single state but who knows the consequences of military action? Russia attempts at negocitiaions 7/2/98 Saddam offers inspections compromises France Iraq should be able to pump more oil Jordan/Iran/Syria wonÕt let air bases be used Germany will let air bases be used Turkey anti air strikes, has lost money coz of sanctions 8/2/98 Clinton/Blair admit that strike will mean end of access for weapons inspections. also that fall of SH isnÕt a specific war aim GB postponing attempts to get UN sanction to back strike Clinton admits SH regime will survive bombing a European diplomat Òa battered Iraq is a weak Iraq which knows that the only way it is going to get the sanctions lifted is to comply with the rules and with UNSCOMÓ Australia wavering on side of USA/GB 9/2/98 Russia claims substantial progress in negociations with Iraq. also wants sanctions lifted 11/2/98 Kofi Annan urges all sides to drop purist or fundamentalist positions. suggests greater flexibility in UNSCOM negociations Iraq in a corner, need to negociate out of it without humiliating them USA/GB no question of watering down UNSCOM aims. Israel confirm that SH has told them he has neither intention nor ability to attack Israel. Russian-Arab Plan calls for demotion of Richard Butler GB and JAPAN pushing new resolution to back military strikes Egypt suggest attack would spark wave of arab nationalism Canada and Australia sending military assistance to Gulf -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html