Iraq Urges Britain to Start Talks

May 12, 2002

Iraq has urged Britain to move away from the US and start talks with Saddam Hussein's government.

Al-Thawra, the newspaper of the ruling Baath party, said it now noticed "growing opposition" in Britain to the US tough line on Iraq.

The paper recalled the British domination of Iraq in the early half of the 20th century and accused the Government of "yielding to the Zionist pressure" in its policies toward Iraq and other Arab states.

The editorial read: "We call on British officials to see their country's interests as being separate from the aggressive policies of the United States and to open a wise, balanced dialogue with Iraq."

Tony Blair has been strongly supportive of George Bush's stand on Iraq. Like Bush, he has accused Iraq of developing weapons of mass destruction and said the situation cannot be allowed to stand.

The move follows a visit to Baghdad by Labour MP George Galloway, who said he and others wanted to end "Britain's illogical and inhumane embargo on Iraq".

The UN has maintained trade sanctions on Iraq since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Britain and the US are the most ardent supporters of the embargo, which can be lifted only when UN arms inspectors declare that Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction and the means to produce them.

Iraq says it has done so but refuses to co-operate with UN inspectors.

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