Stewart Stogel, NewsMax.com
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2002

In a letter to Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri (and obtained by NewsMax), Annan reiterates that inspections must resume before the U.N. can address issues of concern to Iraq.

Those concerns center around a timetable and an agenda of work for the arms inspectors.

Iraq wants the questions cleared up before inspections resume. The Security Council insists that such evaluations be made only after inspectors are back on the ground. The council has mandated that such questions be addressed within 60 days of the resumption of inspections.

In his letter, Annan says:

"The Security Council has clearly instructed UNMOVIC [U.N. Monitoring Observation, Verification and Inspection Commission] to start its work in Iraq by identifying and then submitting to the Council for its approval a list of key remaining disarmament tasks."

Annan added that it was his "sincere hope that a speedy resumption of inspections will help facilitate the resolution of all outstanding issues."

The Annan letter came after a meeting with members of the Security Council in a private lunch on Monday.

Diplomats who attended the meeting called the atmosphere "positive and upbeat" but confirmed that there is a split amongst the permanent five members on how to address Iraq's invitation for arms talks in Baghdad.

The U.S. and United Kingdom are inclined to dismiss the Iraqi invitation, say the diplomats. France, Russia and China want Annan to pursue discussions.

Annan has been trying to steer a middle course.

Before the Monday lunch, Annan met privately with Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri.

NewsMax has obtained a copy of "talking points" Aldouri made to the U.N. chief.

In his remarks, Aldouri explains that Baghdad is concerned that the Bush administration is preparing for a replay of the 1998 attack on Iraq (Operation Desert Fox).

"We cannot think of starting a new stage [of inspections] without solving the pending issues of the previous stage ... that will surely mean that we are returning again to the mine field and the return of inspectors will only be for a few weeks, differences and crisis will return, followed by the inspectors departure and then the United States will call for an agression on Iraq as was the case during the period 1991-1998."

Privately, Iraqi diplomats expect several more days of "give and take" with the U.N., but insist it is unlikely any decision on the resumption of inspections will be made before 2002 General Assembly.

The U.N.'s annual General Assembly will convene in mid-September in New York.

Iraq's delegation is expected to be headed by its foreign minister. It was explained that the foreign minister will meet Annan during the assembly session. A reply to the question on the resumption of arms inspections will probably come at that time, say Iraqi diplomats.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration

Middle East

Saddam Hussein/Iraq

United Nations

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