Stewart Stogel
Monday, Feb. 3, 2003

Diplomatic sources tell NewsMax that Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz may come to the meeting to personally challenge the Powell presentation.

"If we are given the opportunity to participate (in the Council meeting)I believe he (Aziz) will attend," said Iraq's U.N. ambassador Mohammed Aldouri.

The issue of an Aziz visit was raised behind closed doors in the Council on Friday.

Nobody (including U.S./U.N. Ambassador John Negroponte) raised any objections.

Iraq only needs 9 yes votes to be given a formal invitation to attend the meeting.

The U.S. would need 8 no votes to block the invitation. Vetoes do not apply to invitations to attend Council meetings.

Washington does not have the votes to block the invitation according to U.N. diplomats.

Aldouri, who just returned from an extended "homeleave" in Baghdad does not think the Powell presentation will change any minds:

"The decision (for war) has already been made by the United States. Now, they are they just trying to justify it," Aldouri told NewsMax.

Syria's ambassador Mikhail Wehbe says Damascus has seen nothing yet from Washington that has provided justification for a military campaign.

Wehbe also said that Syria would welcome a Council visit by Aziz:

"He should come and be able to address the Council...we would welcome it."

On Friday, Damascus decided to "sponsor" an Aziz visit to the Council, if he decides to come.

Aziz lately has been making the rounds of the US television networks challenging accusations made by President George W. Bush in his State of the Union speech about Iraq hiding prohibited weapons.

Speaking on Nightline, Aziz repeatedly called Bush a "liar" and demanded he produce "evidence" to back up the accusations.

The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei speaking in New York City, said his agency has yet to uncover any evidence that Baghdad has resumed atomic weapons research or production.

While a final decision on an Aziz visit to the Security Council will not be made for a few more days, diplomats at the U.N. would expect the Iraqi official to put Powell on the defensive.

Last month, Aziz said that Baghdad would allow Washington to send its own arms inspectors to Iraq to search for hidden weapons.

The White House ignored the offer.

Diplomats at the U.N. expect Aziz to repeat the offer if he attends the Council meeting.

The same diplomats expect Aziz to make a request to meet with the ranking republican and democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Richard Lugar, R-Ind., and Joseph Biden, D-Del.

Such a meeting would most likely take place in N.Y.C.

The Wednesday Council session will be chaired by Germany which assumes the presidency for February.

Berlin has not hidden its disagreements with Washington, opposing a military campaign against Baghdad.

The looming prospect of a Powell-Aziz confrontation has some Council diplomats talking:

"It could become quite dramatic," explained one ambassador.

That may prove to be the understatement of the month.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Saddam Hussein/Iraq

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