America Short on Friends in Effort to Expel Iraqis
Dave Eberhart, NewsMax.com
Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Many nations, including longtime allies, are refusing the U.S. government's request to expel Iraqi ambassadors and diplomatic staffs.
And in a reversal of fortune in the U.S. diplomatic war to isolate Saddam, Jordan, the first Arab country to expel Iraqi diplomats, announced it was prepared to accept replacements for the ousted five diplomats and would continue relations with the dictatorship.
At the time of their expulsion this past weekend, Jordanian Foreign Minister Marwan Moasher said the five were “undermining state security” but denied their expulsion had anything to do with U.S. calls for governments worldwide to expel Iraqi diplomats.
On March 6, U.S. officials in Washington identified about 300 Iraqis in 62 countries, some of them operating as diplomats out of Iraqi embassies, whom it wanted expelled. The alleged agents could attack American interests overseas, the U.S. said.
This move was followed Thursday with the U.S. Department of State requesting that these same governments sever ties with Saddam Hussein’s regime, shut down Iraq’s embassies and freeze all Iraqi assets until new leadership emerged in Baghdad.
France, Russia and the Netherlands have refused Washington’s request to close Iraqi embassies and expel diplomats. Switzerland said it was considering the U.S. call to freeze assets.
Other countries that have refused or have not yet acted on the U.S. requests include Japan, Spain, Bulgaria, Portugal, Greece, Pakistan, Poland, Brazil, Yemen and Kenya.
Significantly, America’s NAFTA partners, Mexico and Canada, have little desire to stand with us.
Canada, which opposed the U.S. effort for disarming Iraq in the U.N., has announced it will not move to expel the last Iraqi diplomat left in the country, despite a request from Washington. Mexico has refused to cooperate as well.
In the meantime, here is a roll call of how other nations have reacted to the U.S. requests in the last few days:
Germany has ordered four Iraqi diplomats to leave the country, citing their involvement in activities “incompatible with their diplomatic status.” A Foreign Ministry spokesman said, “We have our own information that they were involved in activities incompatible with their diplomatic status.” The spokesman refused to elaborate, identify the diplomats involved or acknowledge that the expulsion was in reaction to any U.S. request.
The Czech government has expelled four Iraqi diplomats on suspicion of spying. Foreign Minister Cyril Svoboda said: “These Iraqis were called undesirable and, therefore, expelled. We have considered information from our secret services as well.”
On March 20, Serbia-Montenegro ordered two Iraqi diplomats to leave the country in 72 hours. A note delivered to the Iraqi ambassador declared the two diplomats of the Iraqi embassy in Belgrade “unwelcome,” owing to activity contrary to the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
Thailand has expelled three Iraqi diplomats for posing a threat to national security, citing intelligence cooperation between Thailand and the United States. The diplomats have since left for Amman, Jordan. Today the Iraqi Embassy in the Thai capital closed voluntarily, without informing the Thai government.
The Philippines today ordered the expulsion of two high-ranking Iraqi Embassy staffers. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said the two were expelled because of “evidence of espionage,” adding that the Iraqi Embassy in Manila would not be closed and Iraqi diplomats will be dealt with case by case. Last month, Philippine officials expelled an Iraqi consul over suspicion of links with Filipino Muslim extremists.
In Great Britain, the former Iraqi embassy in London still houses a skeleton staff operating as the Iraqi interests section of the Jordanian Embassy. A British Foreign Office spokesman said recently: "We are not prepared to discuss any contact we may or may not have had with the U.S. regarding the conduct of any Iraqi diplomats in the U.K."
Italy expelled two Iraqi diplomats and two mission employees but has stopped short of severing ties. It disclosed no reason for its action, and has allowed the head of the Iraqi mission to remain in the country.
Australia, which is supplying troops to Operation Iraqi Freedom, has given Iraqi diplomats accredited to Canberra five days to leave the country.
The Greek government confirmed Monday that it had expelled Iraqi embassy diplomat Arak Abdullah last week, adding it was not examining the prospect of closing down the Iraqi Embassy. A Foreign ministry spokesman said that Abdullah, second in rank at embassy in Athens, had been expelled following information by the appropriate Greek authorities the he had carried out “actions outside the Iraqi diplomatic mission in Athens.” He declined to give details or comment on if the action was tied to U.S. requests.
It’s business as usual for the Iraqi ambassador in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with the Iraq Embassy and its school open even as bombs and cruise missiles fall on the homeland. Iraqi Ambassador Qais Subhi Al-Ya’aqubi said at a press conference recently that Iraqis were determined to defend their country no matter where they were. “My mission is to represent my country, coordinate and express our point of view everywhere. I am lucky to be here in Malaysia whose people have been very supportive of the Iraqi people.”
As noted above, Japan has not yet reached a decision on the expulsion of Iraqi diplomats. State Secretary of the Japanese Foreign Ministry Toshimitsu Motegi said at a press conference that Japan would make any decision concerning the Iraqi Embassy independently, and not “at other countries' request.”
Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
Bush Administration
Saddam Hussein/Iraq
Editor's note:
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