In an interview with Xinhua, Alejandro Serrano asserted that in the conflict: "There also are geopolitical factors that have to do with the recomposition of the Middle East, because if US President George W. Bush gets to oust Hussein to set up a pro-Washington regime, the North American country will have a more favorable position than before."

Serrano added that because Iraq shares borders with Kuwait, Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, a change of regime in that Arab country would represent the fundamental core of the US geopolitics, and there might form a new ally.

"We live in a multipolar world where the Middle East plays an important role because of its large crude reserves, (so) the geopolitical composition of the region means economic changes and a control of the zone," Serrano pointed out.

Serrano said that despite the US invasion of Iraq, the UN has not yet ended its role, although it was a hard blow to the Security Council which now meets to determine the humanitarian relief for the Iraqi people.

He said the future of the UN and the Security Council would be an issue to be debated after the eventual ousting of Hussein, should it come.

"Soon after the ousting, the United States would not only try to revive the Security Council to repair the deep faults that had appeared, but also to beef up its ties with the European Union, where disagreements with France and Germany have been very serious," Serrano said.

He said that from the very first moment the United States launched its unilateral offensive against Iraq, it had already suffered a political defeat. This was because the Security Council and the EU were against the US government, particularly France and Germany, and the European countries would have to enter into the negotiations for the recomposition of the Middle East.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2003)