Union rifts over Iraq exploited by US, says envoy

Date: 06/02/03

By David Cronin and Martin Banks

WASHINGTON is exploiting the EU's divisions over Iraq in a bid to weaken it, according to Saddam Hussein's man in Brussels.

Riyadh Alweyes, the Iraqi chargé d'affaires, upbraided the leaders of Spain, the UK, Italy, Portugal and Denmark for signing a declaration in support of America, despite opposition from other EU states and their own public.

A poll by EOS Gallup Europe conducted on 29 January found that 82% of respondents in the EU oppose war in Iraq without backing from the United Nations. The letter, also signed by the leaders of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic, was "unconstructive", said Alweyes.

"The Blair-Aznar initiative is to divide Europe," he said. "Mr Blair is the chef de cabinet of George W. Bush. The US is trying to control the price and production of petrol. This will have negative consequences for the European economy, so it is in the interests of Europe to stop American aggression. The Americans don't like European unity. It's very clear they want the division and weakening of Europe. They see the euro as competition for the dollar and they want the dollar to be the only international currency."

Alweyes contended that Baghdad would be willing to remove the barriers to full cooperation with the UN weapons inspection team led by Hans Blix on certain conditions.

A request to fly a U-2 reconnaissance plane over the country would be granted, he said, provided British and US planes cease their patrols in the so-called no-fly zone.

He dismissed claims that Saddam is seeking to prevent the inspectors from conducting interviews with scientists to see if they have knowledge about programmes for weapons of mass destruction. He argued that some are reluctant to speak to the inspectors following the experience of one of their fellows, Falih Hamzah al-Basri.

According to al-Basri, the UN team sought to blackmail him into providing information; papers found at his house on 18 January were drawn up for students, rather than detailing a nuclear missile programme, he claimed.

"Because of that experience no one will do an interview in private, without a witness," Alweyes added.

Asked to respond to Chris Patten's description of Saddam as an "evil dictator", Alweyes said the EU's external relations commissioner was receiving one-sided information.

"We say to Mr Patten, 'visit Iraq'. We are a lay country, with independent politicians and we want to start a dialogue with Europe. You cannot resolve problems unless you listen to the other point of view."

Alweyes refused to be drawn on Saddam's use of chemical weapons to massacre more than 5,000 Kurds in the north-eastern town of Halabja in March 1988.

"The Americans wish to demonise Iraq," Alweyes countered. "It is they who have dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We have not used napalm, like they did in Vietnam."

While he welcomed this week's visit of 32 MEPs to Baghdad and Basra, Alweyes said he was disappointed it did not have the blessing of Pat Cox, the European Parliament president.

The MEPs met Saadoun Hamadi, the speaker of the Iraqi assembly, and Amir Saddi, the general charged with negotiating with weapons inspectors.

Cox said: "I fully respect the rights of individual members to inform themselves in Iraq but they must not represent themselves as being mandated by the Parliament."

One of the deputies who visited Baghdad, Belgian Pierre Jonckheer, retorted: "I defy Cox to produce evidence that we were manipulated in any way." He described the city as being in "very, very bad condition with children suffering from malnutrition".

He added: Although we were escorted most of the time by Iraq officials I managed to speak to a few locals.

"They told me if the Americans invade they will fight back, but I don't think they've much stomach for a fight. They've had enough of wars."

Washington is exploiting the EU's divisions over Iraq in a bid to weaken it, according Riyadh Alweyes, the Iraqi chargé d'affaires in Brussels.