From: Steve Wagner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: * Iran, Iraq accuse Bush of war mongering * HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- The following is a news item posted on CBC NEWS ONLINE at http://cbc.ca/news ____________________________________________________ IRAN, IRAQ ACCUSE BUSH OF WAR MONGERING http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/view?/news/2002/01/30/statereax020130 WebPosted Wed Jan 30 21:02:13 2002 CAIRO, EGYPT--Several countries - particularly Iran and Iraq - reacted with anger and dismay Wednesday to U.S. President George W. Bush's characterization of Iran, Iraq and North Korea as an "axis of evil" in his state of the union address. North Korea has not officially responded. But Iran and Iraq Wednesday lashed out at Bush's accusations. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said the comments amount to war mongering, and in Iraq - which Washington has hinted could be the next target in its war on terrorism - Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said the statements were both improper and incorrect. Relations between Tehran and Washington seemed to ease after Sept. 11, when Iran denounced the terrorist attacks. But the relationship between the two countries has become frostier in the past two months, since Bush accused Tehran of trying to undermine Afghanistan's new government. Washington has also accused Iran of complicity in an attempt to smuggle a shipload of weapons to Palestinians in Israel earlier this month. The state of the union address also hit a nerve in Russia, where the chair of the foreign relations committee suggested the remarks were too harsh. Dmitry Rogozin said Bush's tone was reminiscent of World War II, when Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan were referred to as axis powers. He said the comments were a signal that the Bush administration is leaning even further to the right. South Koreans were rankled by Bush's description of their northern neighbour. They say relations between the U.S. and North Korea must improve if there is to be any hope of unifying the two countries - a development that both Washington and Seoul have been working toward. In Malaysia and the Philippines, which have large Moslem populations, leaders were also disturbed by Bush's suggestion that countries must root out terrorists, or the U.S. will do it for them. Philippine Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and Malaysian opposition leader Nasharudin Mat Isa said Bush's comments amount to threats. ____________________ Copyright ? 2002 CBC All Rights Reserved http://cbc.ca/ _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
