U.N. Team Mapping Presidential Palaces
A U.N. team began mapping Iraq’s presidential compounds Sunday, attempting to help resolve one of the main disputes in the crisis over U.N. inspections of suspected weapons sites, Iraqi sources said.
The teams are not actually investigating the compounds, which Iraq has said are off limits to U.N. weapons inspectors. Instead, U.N. officials hope to use the maps to determine which areas of the sprawling compounds are legitimate targets for inspections and which areas should remain closed. Iraq has said unrestricted inspections would violate its national sovereignty.
The United States, which has threatened military action against Iraq if it does not open the compounds to inspectors, did not immediately comment on the map-making team.
But Iraq called the development a “positive step,” and warned that a U.S. military strike could destroy a well-functioning U.N. monitoring system of suspected weapons sites.
“The military attack would practically destroy the system, which relies on communications, cameras,” said Gen. Amir al Sa’adi, an Iraqi presidential adviser.
He also denied claims that Deputy Prime Minister Tarik Aziz ever described presidential palaces as “absolutely forbidden.” The claim was made earlier Sunday by the chief U.N. weapons inspector, Richard Butler, in a CNN interview.
Al Sa’adi said Aziz, in a meeting with Butler, had in fact pleaded for a postponement on the discussion about presidential sites.
Asked if the Iraqi government is open to inspection of at least part of the restricted sites, al Sa’adi said: “We are flexible.” He did not elaborate.
Access to the presidential sites is at the core of the current crisis. The United States and Britain have threatened to attack Iraq if President Saddam Hussein does not completely open his palaces to U.N. inspectors.
The inspectors, working under U.N. Security Council resolutions passed at the end of the Gulf War, are responsible for overseeing the elimination of Iraq’s long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction. Iraqi compliance is needed for U.N. economic sanctions to be lifted.
The United Nations and the United States say the inspectors can search any place they want. Iraq has refused, citing national sovereignty.
Under pressure to resolve the crisis, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan ordered the map-making team to Iraq on Friday.
The team, led by Staffan de Mistura of Sweden, arrived Sunday and visited one of the eight disputed sites, Iraqi sources said.
De Mistura, a former U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Iraq, and the two Austrian map-makers accompanying him are expected to finish charting the eight sprawling presidential compounds in three or four days.
There have been growing calls for Annan to head to Iraq to end the standoff. Annan was to meet this afternoon in New York with U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson and envoys of the other four permanent members of the Security Council - Britain, China, Russia and France.
Russia, France and China have been urging the United States not to attack.
If the meeting produces an agreement, Annan would probably leave Tuesday or Wednesday, U.N. sources said on condition of anonymity.
In other developments, Al Sa’adi denied a U.S. News and World Report magazine report that Iraq has smuggled many of its weapons of mass destruction to other Arab countries for safekeeping.
“This is immoral. First there are no weapons to be sent out of Iraq,” he said.
Butler earlier told CNN: “It just illustrates the great importance of the issue of inspection.”
In Bagdad, Russian envoy Viktor Posuvaluk went into a third week of talks with the government on trying to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
New Zealand announced Monday it is ready to back military action against Iraq, offering its elite commando unit and two search and rescue planes.
xxxx Iraq watch Key developments Sunday in the Iraq crisis: A U.N. team began mapping Iraqi presidential compounds, designating boundaries and locating and identifying structures inside. Gen. Amir al Sa’adi, an Iraqi presidential adviser, said a military strike would “practically destroy” the U.N. weapons monitoring system. Sen. John McCain, R.-Ariz., said President Clinton must set a deadline for Saddam Hussein to back down or face attack. Other lawmakers insisted Clinton not act without a vote of congressional support. Iranian newspaper Jameah reported that Washington has urged Tehran to keep a tight rein on Iraqi opposition groups in Iran. Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammed Mehdi Saleh signed a $255 million trade agreement with Jordan and called for the lifting of U.N. sanctions. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat met with King Hussein of Jordan about the need for a diplomatic solution. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Saddam not to attack Israel, saying Israel is not part of the current crisis. Italy’s Greens party indicated it may yank support for Premier Romano Prodi’s coalition if the U.S. is allowed to use bases in Italy to attack Iraq. Chicago-based Voices in the Wilderness, which objects to U.N. sanctions on Iraq, donated $110,000 in medicines to an Iraqi hospital. French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine pressed for U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to visit Baghdad. Iraq announced it was freeing two Kuwaiti prisoners under a general amnesty for foreign Arabs in Iraqi jails, an apparent attempt to gain support in the Arab world. Associated Press