-Caveat Lector- 11.15am update http://politics.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12956,928010,00.html
Straw: UK will not attack Syria or Iran Staff and agencies Wednesday April 2, 2003 The Guardian Britain would have "nothing whatever" to do with military action against Syria or Iran, the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, signalled today. Mr Straw's comments will be seen as an attempt to ensure that speculation about an Anglo-American attack on the two countries is quashed ahead of his meeting with EU foreign ministers tomorrow. The US president, George Bush, has previously identified Iran as part of the so-called "axis of evil", while America's defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, recently accused Syria of supplying military equipment to Iraq and threatened to hold it to account for its actions. In contrast, the government has made efforts to improve relations with Syria and Iran. Mr Straw has visited Iran on a number of occasions and the prime minister has visited Syria. Interviewed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Straw described Iran as "a completely different country and situation from Iraq". "Iran is an emerging democracy and there would be no case whatsoever for taking any kind of action." "We have had good cooperation from the Iranian government," he added. "The Iranians have more reason to know of the terror imposed by Saddam Hussein, not just on his own people but on other peoples in the region, than almost any other country including Kuwait." Regarding Syria, Mr Straw said "we have worked hard to try to improve relations". But he went on: "That said, it is important that Syria ensures that its territory is not used as a conduit for military supplies to the government of Iraq, and I hope that they are not doing so." Asked whether he was worried that an impression was being created that Syria and Iran were next in line behind Iraq, Mr Straw replied: "it would worry me if it were true. It is not true, and we would have nothing whatever to do with an approach like that." Mr Straw is in Berlin today, and Brussels tomorrow, on a diplomatic mission to sell the government's plans for a UN-sponsored conference to decide upon Iraq's postwar future and to repair relations damaged by Britain and America's march to war. The government hopes the conference would open during the period of post-conflict American military rule and would follow the model set by the Afghanistan conference in Bonn which preceded the formation of a post- Taliban government. Yesterday, Mr Straw described the conference's goal as "to place responsibility for decisions about Iraq's political and economic future firmly in the hands of the Iraqi people". It is hoped that all the Iraqi anti-Ba'athist political groups would attend. Washington hawks are known to be unimpressed by the idea, especially the prospect of giving dovish security council members like France and Germany a say in Iraq's future. European leaders are also believed to sceptical about contributing to the cost of rebuilding a country that America and Britain have destroyed. Today Mr Straw is having dinner with Germany's foreign minister, Joschka Fischer, who chaired the Afghanistan conference but has been bitterly critical of the present war. Tomorrow, the foreign secretary is in Brussels for a meeting of Nato's North Atlantic council, followed by a working lunch for foreign ministers of Nato and EU states and meeting with the US secretary of state, Colin Powell, and Russia's foreign minister, Igor Ivanov. Guardian Unlimited © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2003 Forwarded for your information. The text and intent of the article have to stand on their own merits. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without charge or profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information for non-profit research and educational purposes only. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe simply because it has been handed down for many genera- tions. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of teachers, elders or wise men. Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all. Then accept it and live up to it." The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutra <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http://archive.jab.org/[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
