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---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Rania Masri <rmasri@leb.net> Iraq Rejects Five Conditions Set by Clinton AP 27-NOV-98 BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Setting up what could be another confrontation with the United States, Iraq says it rejects the five conditions President Clinton laid out when he called off military strikes against Baghdad earlier this month. Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf says his government is committed only to the U.N. resolution that links the removal of sanctions to a certification that Iraq is free of banned weapons. The sanctions were imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990. In a television interview broadcast late Thursday, Sahhaf said Iraq's promise to cooperate with inspectors does not mean they have the right to a "yes" answer to every demand they make. The head of inspections, Richard Butler, has demanded weapons documents from Baghdad. But Iraq has yet to hand them over, violating one of Clinton's conditions. Iraq says it will turn down any request by Butler that is unrelated to disarmament or that jeopardizes the country's security. "This wretched person (Butler) now thinks he has the backing of the United States of America in accordance with the points raised by its president," Sahhaf said. Iraq evaded the military strikes by allowing the resumption of inspections by the United Nations Special Commission after a two-week hiatus. Soon after UNSCOM resumed its work in Iraq, Butler asked for papers that he says are related to Iraq's biological and chemical weapons programs. Iraq says most of the documents in question do not exist and those in its possession will not be handed over because they are part of its national security. "Butler has resorted to a new ploy: that is the implementation of the points made by Clinton," Sahhaf said. He said a deal his government signed with U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan in February compels Butler and his inspectors to respect "all of Iraq's national security concerns" in addition to matters related to its sovereignty. The Feb. 23 pact opened presidential sites to the inspectors and had also averted U.S. and British airstrikes. Clinton said Iraq must resolve all outstanding issues raised by the inspectors and give inspectors unfettered access to sites. He said Iraq must turn over all relevant documents; accept all U.N. resolutions regarding its weapons of mass destruction; and refrain from interfering with inspectors. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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