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The Guilfordian November 14,1997 Iraq and U.S. prepare for showdown ♦ Iraqi officials refuse to admit U.S. weapons inspectors, threaten to shoot down U.S. surveillance planes BY PHOEBE JEWETT Staff Writer Uneasiness increased last Sun day, November 9th when, for the seventh consecutive day, Iraqi of ficials refused to comply with a United Nations Security Council weapon investigation team and re iterated their threat to shoot down "any hostile targets." In 1991, the U.N. Security Council imposed strict sanctions on Iraq as part of the Gulf War's cease-fire. The sanctions included an embargo on Iraq's oil exports and the creation of a U.N. Special Commission (UNSCOM) to disarm Iraq. The resulting inspection team, which includes 10 Ameri cans, is designed to ensure the destruction of Iraq's current weap ons of mass destruction and pre vent future manufacturing. Last Tuesday, Iraq ordered the American members of the team to leave the country, an apparent response to Washington's recent attempt to instigate a travel ban on Iraqi officials. Granting a re quest from U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Iraq extended the de parture deadline to 48 hours, but refused to consider its revocation. Along with the refusal to ad mit Americans, a threat to shoot down U.S. U-2 spy planes was is sued. The planes, which are un armed, have made routine surveil lance flights over Iraq for years without problems. The deputy prime minister of Iraq, Tareq Aziz, attributed the hostility to Iraq's suspicions that the planes are ac tually being used by the U.S. to take photos for future military purposes. UNSCOM Chairman Ri chard Butler denies the idea, as serting that all decisions regard ing flights of the U.S. planes are made solely by the U.N. council. Considered to be a breach of the 1991 cease-fire agreement, the Iraqi actions open the possibility of increased sanctions and military involvement. A team of three U.N. diplomats was sent to Iraq Mon day by Secretary General Annan, but negotiating was not on the agenda. Annan described the dip lomats' goal as discussion of "a firm implementation of the U.N. resolution," adding that the ques tion of American team members "would not be on the table." Three World and Nation days later, Annan announced the end of his unsuccessful personal involvement, turning the situation over to the Security Council. The Security Council consists of five countries, the United States, Russia, France, Britain, and China., with each holding veto power. Al though Britain fully supports the U.S. in the conflict, France and Russia have strong Iraqi oil inter ests and hesitate about any "uni lateral anti-Iraq action." Specula tions are that Saddam Hussein is using those interests to manipu late the council, his apparent goal being the elimination of American members on the UNSCOM investi gation team. It is officially the Security Council's decision what action to take, but William Durch, a senior associate at a Washington, D.C. think tank, declared earlier this week that "if Iraq is dumb enough to fire on surveillance planes, the United States won't require U.N. approval to retaliate." And Presi dent Clinton has warned that Iraq's use of anti-aircraft weap onry would be "a big mistake." He cautioned that he would not rule out military action in that case. The next U-2 flight is scheduled for an undisclosed time next week. Attitudes on the Guilford cam pus regarding the recent U.S.-Iraq Summaries of the week's top news stories copyright lQiDE^utear dispute seem relatively relaxed, and many students admit a total ignorance of the situation. Among those who are aware of the circum- President: Saddam Hussein Capital: Baghdad Population (1991): 18,317,000 Land Area: 167,975 sq. miles Border countries: Kuwait, Saudi Arabi, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iran stances, a general fear of Hussein's unpredictability is counterbal anced by distrust of the American government. Both ideas appear to stem at least in part from the Persian Gulf British Au Pair Freed CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—ln a stunning development, a judge in Cambridge, Mass., freed British au pair Louise Woodward Tuesday after sentencing her to time al ready served in jail. The judge denied an immediate motion by the prosecution to have the sen tence stayed. MCI Acquired For $37 Billion NEW YORK—Some would say it's like a goldfish swallowing a whale. Little known, Jackson, Miss.-based upstart World Com is acquiring MCI Communications for $37 billion in the largest cor porate takeover in history. Washington-based MCI agreed to the takeover today, turn ing down a rival bid from GTE. The deal creates a powerhouse in global telecommunications and Internet services. War. Students who feel the na tional government was guilty of lying by omission during the con flict in Kuwait question whether key issues are again being kept under wraps. Others wonder how much is being revealed about Iraq's motives for blocking the in spection teams and just how many mass destruction weapons the country has access to. An anonymous senior, who says the whole situation just makes him nervous, paraphrased the anxiety in simple terms. "You know, whether or not Saddam Hussein is truly the evil guy the media makes him out to be, chemi cal weapons in anyone's hands are a bad thing." Editor's note: On Monday, Nov. 10, a U.S. U-2 plane made routine surveillance flights over Iraq. There was no retaliation by Iraqi military who said that the plane was "out of range" of anti-aircraft fire. Hun dreds of Iraqi civilians are camping out around Saddam Hussein's resi dence to shield it from possible at tack. Iraqi officials refused to ad mit a U.N. inspection team with American members again on Tues day morning. The team returned to its Baghdad headquarters refus ing to continue without the Ameri cans. Information from www.eb.com Pakistani Found Guilty In Murder Of CIA Employees FAIRFAX, Va.—A jury in Fairfax, Va., today found a 33- year-old Pakistani man guilty of first-degree murder in the 1993 shooting deaths of two CIA em ployees. Mir Aimal Kasi had pleaded not guilty. But defense lawyers rested their case without calling any witnesses. Clinton Retreats On Bid For Fast-Track Trade Authority WASHINGTON —President Clinton ordered a tactical retreat today in his bid to gain ex panded trade negotiating power from Congress. Clinton says he plans to bring the issue back to the House "at the appropriate time when we think we can pass it." 11
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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