- BAGHDAD/MUNICH (Reuters)
- Chief U.N. arms inspector Hans Blix called new disarmament talks with
Iraqi officials on Saturday "very substantial," as the United
States rebuked European allies for their reluctance to back war on Baghdad.
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- Blix and chief U.N. atomic expert Mohamed ElBaradei opened
two days of talks in Baghdad as they prepared to present a fresh report
to the U.N. Security Council next Friday that could start a countdown to
war.
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- In Germany, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a
security conference the world was serious about disarming Baghdad. He rounded
on France, Germany and Belgium for "inexcusable" stalling of
NATO moves to help protect Turkey from any war in its neighbor Iraq.
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- Apparently undeterred, Germany announced a new Franco-German
initiative to try to avert military conflict. A German magazine reported
it involved sending thousands of U.N. peacekeeping troops to Iraq and trebling
the number of arms inspectors.
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- Rumsfeld said however he had not been officially informed
of the initiative and officials expressed skepticism over it.
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- Speaking to journalists after talks with German Defense
Minister Peter Struck, Rumsfeld said: "I heard about it from the press.
No official word. I have no knowledge of it."
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- A senior U.S. official said Rumsfeld had questioned Struck
on reports of the proposal and the German side had confirmed they were
talking to the French but were not ready to discuss the plan with the Americans.
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- "It's kind of extraordinary that the secretary of
defense has been in Munich more than 24 hours and we get to hear about
a major diplomatic initiative through Reuters," the official said.
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- BUSH APPEARS TO PREPARE FOR WAR
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- In Washington, President Bush appeared to be preparing
his nation for war in a radio address: "The United States, along with
a growing coalition of nations, will take whatever action is necessary
to defend ourselves and disarm the Iraqi regime."
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- U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a speech at William
and Mary College in Virginia, warned Washington against striking Iraq on
its own, saying collective action under a U.N. umbrella would have greater
legitimacy and better odds of success.
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- In Baghdad, a U.N. source said Iraqi had handed over
documents to Blix and ElBaradei during their first round of talks on Saturday.
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- "The Iraqi side gave us documents. We will work
on them tonight and will discuss them tomorrow," the source said.
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- Blix and ElBaradei are in Baghdad for the first time
since Secretary of State Colin Powell spelled out to the Security Council
last Wednesday Washington's case against Iraq.
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- Blix categorized Saturday's talks as "very substantial."
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- ElBaradei said: "The Iraqi side is providing explanations
on some of the issues. We have discussed the (U-2) surveillance flights,
scientists' interviews as well as outstanding chemical, biological and
missile issues."
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- They have warned Iraq it must take drastic steps to avert
a U.S.-led war to rid it of alleged weapons of mass destruction.
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- Babel, Iraq's most influential newspaper, said Baghdad
would do its best to make the visit a success.
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- "NO ONE WANTS WAR"
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- "No one wants war. War is never a first or an easy
choice. But the risks of war need to be balanced against the risks of doing
nothing while Iraq pursues weapons of mass destruction," Rumsfeld
told the conference in the south German city of Munich.
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- "Clearly, momentum is building, momentum that sends
a critically important message to the Iraqi regime -- about our seriousness
of purpose and the world's determination that Iraq disarm.
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- "This is not months or years, this is days or weeks
we're going to know whether they are going to cooperate," he said.
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- "He (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) has not been
contained, he is successfully getting into that country darn near everything
he wants."
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- Laying bare deep U.S.-European divisions over Iraq, Rumsfeld
said NATO's failure to agree on planning defense measures for alliance
member Turkey risked undermining NATO's credibility.
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- Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer of Germany, a firm opponent
of war on Iraq, replied by insisting peace should be given a chance. He
said Berlin stood by NATO obligations but wanted to wait until after the
U.N. inspectors' report.
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- In Ankara, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul sought to ease
concerns in Turkey about a war, saying it must be prepared if its close
ally the United States struck neighboring Iraq.
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- Ankara has agreed to let U.S. engineers upgrade Turkish
air bases and sea ports ahead of a parliamentary vote on February 18 to
open the facilities to U.S. forces in the event of war.
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- POLLS SHOW MOST TURKS OPPOSE WAR
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- Opinion polls show four out of five Turks oppose a possible
war on a fellow Muslim state.
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- Confirming the Franco-German peace initiative, a German
government spokesman said: "I can confirm that there are joint considerations
on finding a peaceful alternative to a military solution to the Iraq conflict."
He gave no details.
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- A report by news magazine Der Spiegel said the plan for
U.N. troops to enforce disarmament was to be put to the Security Council.
It would also involve stricter rules on exports to Iraq and an agreement
with Iraq's neighbors to stop oil smuggling.
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- French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said in
Munich Paris had never ruled out military action to disarm Iraq, but it
would have to be a last resort.
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- Amid a huge U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, Bush has
said he would welcome a new U.N. resolution after one in November that
warned of serious consequences if Iraq failed to comply.
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- Diplomats said a new Security Council resolution seeking
international legitimacy for war might not include a deadline for Saddam
to comply, or explicitly authorize force.
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