New consensus on Iraq
includes Colin Powell
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SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, November 27, 2001
WASHINGTON Ñ The Bush administration is building a case with its NATO and Arab
allies and organizing an international coalition against Iraq.
On Monday, U.S. President George Bush made the clearest threat yet that
he might order an attack on Iraq if it refuses to honor United Nations
Security Council resolutions and to allow the return of UN weapons
inspectors.
U.S. officials said Bush's statement marks a consensus in the
administration that Iraq is the prime candidate for the next target of
Washington's war against terrorism. They said the consensus includes
Secretary of State Colin Powell, who had dismissed the prospect as he sought
to form a coalition for the war in Afghanistan.
But the officials said they did not expect an imminent strike on
Baghdad. They said Washington has encountered resistance from such allies as
Britain and France to a campaign to overthrow Saddam. Russia, they said,
opposes the effort.
U.S. officials said Saddam is being presented as a threat to the region with his renewed development of weapons of mass
destruction.
"If they develop weapons of mass destruction that will be used to
terrorize nations, they will be held accountable," Bush said. "And as for
Mr. Saddam Hussein, he needs to let inspectors back in his country, to show
us that he is not developing weapons of mass destruction."
Asked what the United States will do if Saddam refuses to allow UN
inspectors to enter Iraq, Bush replied, "He'll find out."
Hours later, Iraqi Foreign Minister Nagy Sabri said his country would
not allow the return of UN inspectors. At the same time, Iraq's military has
been placed on alert and commanders have cancelled all officer leave.
In Jerusalem, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is said to have raised
the prospect of a U.S.-led attack on Iraq with Bush administration
officials. Sharon wants U.S. guarantees that Washington will inform
Jerusalem in advance of any attack on Baghdad.
On Monday, Israeli Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon said a
U.S. attack on Baghdad could spark an Iraqi missile strike on Israel.
Israeli intelligence sources said they expect a U.S. strike by February
2002.
"These have been longstanding concerns of the United States,
longstanding concerns about weapons of mass
destruction," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said. "As the
president said, this has always been his position."
In Ankara, Turkey's National Security Council meets on Tuesday to
discuss the possibility of a U.S.-led strike on Iraq. Turkey, a neighbor of
Iraq, has been a leading ally in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
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