--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates
Hotel Service


Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland
Foreign Affairs College
Institute of American Studies Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
UN Mulls Iraqi Offer for Talks
Amid US threats for a regime change in Iraq, the UN Security Council reviewed for the first time yesterday Iraq's invitation for technical talks in Baghdad with the UN weapons experts.

Iraq insists that chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix go to Baghdad to discuss all pending issues on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, a key to suspending UN sanctions imposed when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

But Blix has said repeatedly that a 1999 Security Council resolution prevented him from analyzing arms data until the inspectors are back on the ground to determine what happened since they left in December 1998, on the eve of a US-British bombing raid. They have not been allowed to return since.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan intends to bring up a letter he received on Thursday from Iraq Foreign Minister Naji Sabri during a private meeting with the 15 UN Security Council members. But council sources said they did not expect a decision yesterday.

Sabri also hinted at the inspectors' return, saying the talks might form a "solid basis" for this step.

"As a subsidiary organ of the council, we take our instructions from them," Blix's spokesman, Ewen Buchanan, said.

US President George W. Bush said over the weekend that "nothing's changed" regarding the US determination to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein following Baghdad's offer.

In another development Iraq's speaker of parliament invited the US Congress yesterday to send a mission of congressmen and arms experts to Baghdad to investigate American allegations that Iraq is developing weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, US fighter jets yesterday attacked an air defense command and control facility in southern Iraq in response to attempts to shoot down American and British warplanes patrolling the area, the US military said.

It was the 25th strike of the year by U.S. and British attack jets in northern and southern "no-fly zones" of Iraq, established after the 1991 Gulf War to protect minorities in the country from attack by President Saddam Hussein's military.

(China Daily August 6, 2002)

Iraq Ready to Talk With UN 'Unconditionally'
Iraq Invites Chief UN Inspector Back
Print This Page
|
Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-68326688