- MEXICO CITY (Reuters)
- In defiance of the United States and Spain, U.N. Security Council member
Mexico vowed on Saturday to maintain its opposition to an attack on Iraq.
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- "I want to reiterate that Mexico's position has
been and will be very clear. It will exclusively serve our interests, the
interests of the Mexicans and no-one else," said Interior Minister
Santiago Creel.
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- Mexico, which has a porous 2,000-mile border with the
United States, was cooperating closely in the fight against terrorism but
would chart its own course in the Iraq crisis, he told reporters.
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- Mexico has called for U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq
to be given more time to carry out their mission.
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- "That is going to be the position we will assume.
In matters of internal security: total solidarity against terrorism, total
proximity with our northern neighbor," Creel said. "And in international
forums: our principles, our traditions and above all, Mexico's peaceful
vocation."
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- His comments came after a plea by the U.S. ambassador
for Mexico to prove its friendship to the United States, the recipient
of almost 90 percent of Mexico's exports.
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- The United States and countries supporting it are to
submit a proposed resolution to the Security Council early next week declaring
Iraq is not complying with U.N. disarmament demands.
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- The resolution is expected to carry a threat of military
action if Iraq does not comply quickly.
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- U.N. diplomats say the votes of non-permanent Security
Council members like Mexico are key because Washington wants to win the
minimum nine votes needed in the council for adoption of the resolution
and then challenge Russia, China or France to use their powers of veto
to kill it.
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- AZNAR FAILS
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- Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, one of the staunchest
U.S. allies in the Iraq crisis, failed to convince Mexican President Vicente
Fox to back the resolution during a visit to Mexico on Thursday.
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- Fox, a former Coca-Cola executive who was once close
to President Bush, released a short statement after that meeting which
feel well short of offering support.
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- In a breach of diplomatic dress code, the Mexican president
received Aznar for talks at his official residence wearing a black leather
jacket and open-necked shirt -- a signal to the Spanish leader that Fox
is in dissent.
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- Mexico is upset at the United States' lack of interest
in talks to legalize the status of millions of undocumented Mexicans in
the United States.
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- The immigration issue has been the cornerstone of a Mexican
bid to align itself closer with the United States, but it fell of the agenda
because of U.S. concerns about security after the Sept. 11 attacks on American
cities.
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- Mexico now feels spurned and believes it has little to
lose politically by turning its back on Washington, analysts say.
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- "I think perhaps Mexico may be at the point where
it says, 'We are not going to get what we want out of the United States
anyway, so there will not be such a high prices to pay,"' said Delal
Baer of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.
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- Mexican newspapers on Saturday quoted U.S. Ambassador
to Mexico Tony Garza as asking for Mexican diplomatic help. "The real
test of (a) special relationship is helping each other in difficult times,"
Garza was quoted as saying.
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- In a veiled threat, he warned that an immigration deal
with the United States "could become impossible" in Congress
if Mexico did not back Washington over Iraq.
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