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Source: BBC News website Sunday, February 22, 1998 Published at 19:26 GMT US ready for action despite peace moves William Cohen: Baghdad has "had a pattern of deception and deceipt" in the past American Defence Secretary William Cohen says Washington is still preparing for military action against Baghdad despite news of a possible breakthrough in talks over UN arms inspections. The US is calling up "several hundred reservists from various bases" to bolster its forces already in the Gulf, he added. "We're prepared to exercise the military option," Mr Cohen said, adding that the extra troops would provide transport and support. The defence chief expressed reservations that a deal with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would be reliable because of Iraq's failure to comply with previous agreements. Mr Cohen said his attitude was "wait, make them show me exactly what the details are". And Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the US would pursue its own interests in Iraq if it was unhappy with any deal reached by the UN chief, Kofi Annan. Mrs Albright added that Washington would accept nothing short of unconditional access for UN inspectors. "US beating drum of war" In Iraq, newspapers said the US was focused on war even while Mr Annan was seeking a peaceful solution. "Although the US has agreed to the visit by the UN Secretary General to Baghdad, it is beating the drum of war," said al-Thawra, organ of the ruling Baath Party. Iraq's most influential newspaper, Babel, owned by Saddam's son Uday, contrasted what it called Mr Annan's optimism and Iraq's "serious efforts" to make his mission a success with Washington's language. "The American administration gives itself the right to judge the results of the talks," Babel said. Olive branch In Britain, Foreign Secretary Robin Cook held out an olive branch, saying UN sanctions against Iraq could be dismantled soon if Saddam implemented a satisfactory accord. "If he is willing this time to co-operate, that could be done in the near future," Mr Cook told BBC Radio 4's The World this Weekend. "I'm not fussed where the commas go. What is crucial is whether Kofi Annan and Richard Butler, the executive chairman of UNSCOM, can say this deal lets us get back to work in a way that will stop Saddam producing chemical and biological weapons." Potent symbolism Meanwhile, Arab anger against the US hardline position appeared to be growing. "Aggression against Iraq is aggression against the Arab nation," read a banner in Lebanon at a site with potent symbolism - the empty ground in Beirut where the US embassy stood until a suicide bomber slammed into it in 1983. And Jordanian troops sealed off the southern city of Maan on Sunday, imposing a curfew after two days of violent pro-Iraqi demonstrations. United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan said Iraq did not pose a threat to its neighbours and rejected as "bad and loathsome" any US strike against Baghdad. "We won't trust Saddam" In Moscow, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told protesters that the US was behaving like "a drunken sheriff acting as judge, jury and executioner" in threatening to bomb Iraq. But some Kuwaitis said they doubted that any 11th-hour deal to end the crisis would hold because their former occupier could not be trusted. "An agreement might help the world relax, but it would not help Kuwait relax," human rights campaigner Fatima al-Abdali said. "We will not trust Saddam. If there is a settlement now it will merely condemn future generations of our people to confusion and insecurity." not fussed where the commas go. What is crucial is whether Kofi Annan and Richard Butler, the executive chairman of UNSCOM, can say this deal lets us get back to work in a way that will stop Saddam producing chemical and biological weapons." Potent symbolism Meanwhile, Arab anger against the US hardline position appeared to be growing. "Aggression against Iraq is aggression against the Arab nation," read a banner in Lebanon at a site with potent symbolism - the empty ground in Beirut where the US embassy stood until a suicide bomber slammed into it in 1983. And Jordanian troops sealed off the southern city of Maan on Sunday, imposing a curfew after two days of violent pro-Iraqi demonstrations. United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Zaid bin Sultan al-Nahayan said Iraq did not pose a threat to its neighbours and rejected as "bad and loathsome" any US strike against Baghdad. "We won't trust Saddam" In Moscow, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov told protesters that the US was behaving like "a drunken sheriff acting as judge, jury and executioner" in threatening to bomb Iraq. But some Kuwaitis said they doubted that any 11th-hour deal to end the crisis would hold because their former occupier could not be trusted. "An agreement might help the world relax, but it would not help Kuwait relax," human rights campaigner Fatima al-Abdali said. "We will not trust Saddam. If there is a settlement now it will merely condemn future generations of our people to confusion and insecurity." -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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