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News from: http://akhbar.com/ Friday, November 13 , 1998: The News Channel Iraqi Crisis Escalates MANAMA (AROL)-- United Nations arms inspectors and other staff who were evacuated to Bahrain from Iraq have no immediate plans to leave the Gulf Arab island, a U.N. official said to Reuters on Friday. Goran Wallen, chief of the Bahrain field base for the U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) charged with disarming Iraq, told Reuters the inspectors were staying put for the time being. Just over 100 monitors and other support staff arrived in Bahrain on Wednesday after their sudden withdrawal from Iraq as a precaution against possible military strikes. The latest crisis with Iraq was sparked by Baghdad's decision to halt cooperation with the inspectors, who are seeking to eliminate the country's chemical, biological and nuclear capabilities as a precondition for lifting sanctions. On the inspectors' arrival in Bahrain, Wallen said they were awaiting orders from New York about whether they would go back to Baghdad or return to their home countries. As to the remaining U.N. staff members in Iraq, (a group of 50 relief staff ), they have left their Baghdad hotels and moved to United Nations headquarters in anticipation of a possible air strike. The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, is to meet today with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to try to solve the standoff with Iraq, but chances for a peaceful resolution appear to be dwindling, says CNN. The United States has threatened to use force if Iraq does not back down on its October 31 decision to stop cooperating, and is mustering its military capabilities in the region. France, on the other hand, advised its nationals to delay travels to Iraq and Kuwait under the current conditions. "Because of the uncertainty in the region, we recommend that trips to or stays in Iraq or Kuwait be postponed until further notice," Francois Rivasseau, deputy foreign ministry spokesman told AFP today. However, the French foreign ministry did not ask its nationals to leave the two countries. On Thursday, Britain and Germany urged their citizens to leave Iraq over the threat of US air strikes. Spain today also urged its nationals not to visit Iraq, or the Gulf region in general. Spain holds Baghdad responsible for the present stand off. Egypt, Syria, and six Gulf states Thursday told Baghdad it would be solely responsible for any military strikes against it if it refused to allow arms inspections to continue their work. In a news conference held in Baghdad Thursday, Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz said that the Iraqi people were dying anyway from the effects of sanctions, and added "..there is no light at the end of the tunnel, there will be no peaceful solution ... unless the United States agreed to the principle of lifting sanctions." 13.11.98 N.J. ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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