Steve Quayle News Alerts

September 4, 2002

MOSCOW, Sept. 3 (UPI) -- Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has threatened to use the country's veto, which it holds as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, over possible U.S. strikes against Iraq.

He stressed that a military confrontation should be avoided. It was the first time he had clearly stated Moscow's position on the issue. Earlier, President Vladimir Putin had indicated Moscow was against military action in Iraq, but he made no mention of a U.N. Security Council veto.

Following talks with his Iraqi counterpart Naji Sabri, who was in Moscow for a two-day visit, Ivanov said he believed the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq would resolve the crisis. He added that U.S. threats against Baghdad had political motives, as there was no evidence to support Washington's claims that Iraq was developing weapons of mass destruction.

"A military solution will not only complicate the Iraqi problem further but also undermine the situation in the entire Middle East region," Ivanov said before Sabri left Moscow.

Speaking about possible U.S.-led military action against Iraq and the need to approve such action, Ivanov said: "I hope this question is not raised in the Security Council, and that Russia's veto will not be necessary. We think the Iraqi situation can only be resolved through diplomatic means."

Washington hasn't ruled out sidestepping the United Nations if it decided to attack Iraq and using existing resolutions as a legal framework for action.

Stressing that Moscow still viewed U.S. threats to Baghdad as "politically" motivated, Ivanov said: "We are studying Washington's comments about the inevitability of a military solution to the Iraqi problem.

"There has not been a single well-founded argument that proves Iraq threatens U.S. national security. These (U.S.) comments are political in nature," Ivanov said.

Ivanov reiterated that the return of inspectors is seen as "a necessary condition for the normalization of the situation and for the lifting of sanctions (imposed against Iraq). I see no alternative to this," he said.

Earlier, Ivanov addressed a group of Russian diplomats, telling them that Moscow supported "pre-emptive measures" against global terrorism, as long as they had full U.N. approval.

Sabri flew from Moscow to Cairo, where he will take part in a meeting of Arab league foreign ministers. Russia's special envoy on the Middle East, Andrei Vdovin, also flew to Cairo, Russian Foreign Ministry officials said.

Russia has supported Iraq's calls for an end to sanctions and has much to gain in renewed trade with Iraq.

Iraq owes Russia some $7 billion in Soviet-era debt, and Moscow hopes to receive payment in oil once sanctions are lifted. Russia might also invest billions of dollars to develop new oil fields, and it hopes to negotiate a 10-year trade agreement covering the development of transportation and infrastructure, agricultural and irrigation projects.

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20020903-054809-7383r