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| THE IRAQ SITUATION
Will Saddam Hussein comply with the latest agreement? February 27, 1998 |
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Questions asked
in this forum:
Why are we so concerned with Saddam Hussein's development of weapons of mass destruction? Upon what basis of authority does Washington stand in planning a unilateral military attack on any country? Has the U.S. lost its credibility in the region as an honest broker? Will the Arab states support U.S. policies against Saddam in the future? Has the U.N. brokered deal with Iraq resolved the crisis or is it just an interlude to war?
NewsHour Backgrounders
February 23, 1998
Sec. Albright discusses the U.N. brokered deal with Iraq.
February 23, 1998
Four policy experts discusses the latest deal.
February 16, 1998
How significant a threat does Saddam Hussein's country really pose?
February 11, 1998
Ambassador Richardson discusses the ongoing crisis with Iraq.
February 4, 1998
Secretary Albright tries to marshal support for a possible attack on Iraq.
January 14, 1998
Iraq's U.N. Ambassador, Nizar Hamdoon, defends his country's actions.
Online Forum:
What's the best way to deal with Iraq?
November 17, 1997
Arab perspectives on the Iraqi crisis.
November 13, 1997
Deputy PM Aziz defends his country's expulsion of U.N. weapons inspectors.
November 3, 1997
U.N. Ambassador Richardson discusses tensions between the U.S. and Iraq.
Online Forum: 1996:
The plight of the Kurds in Northern Iraq.
Browse the NewsHour's coverage of the Middle East.
OUTSIDE LINKS
American Enterprise Institute
United Nations
Iraq-ArabNet
On Monday February 23, 1998, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and the government of Saddam Hussein signed an agreement that has, for now, averted a military strike by the U.S. against suspected Iraqi weapons sites.
According to the agreement, the U.N. Special Commission that oversees weapons inspections will be allowed "immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access" to suspected weapons sites - chemical, biological or otherwise - throughout Iraq.
In addition to unrestricted access, the Secretary General will also appoint a "special group" of diplomats to accompany U.N. weapons inspectors to eight presidential palaces. This group of diplomats will follow UNSCOM (United Nations Special Commission) operational procedures, as well as those "which will be developed given the special nature of the presidential sites."
Furthermore, the agreement includes a U.N. commitment to "respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq." It also promises to address the economic sanctions that were imposed on Iraq following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Although the accord does not set a time frame for the lifting of sanctions, it does note the importance of the issue.
While most of the world has praised the diplomatic agreement, the Clinton administration has remained cautious in its assessment. Noting that Saddam Hussein has broken promises in the past, the Clinton administration has called for an immediate test of the agreement.
In an interview on The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called the deal a "very important first step," but also warned that "if he (Saddam Hussein) doesn't follow through this time, I think that it's very clear there will be very serious consequences."
Although it appears that tensions have eased, U.S. troops continue to arrive in the Persian Gulf. President Clinton has ordered troops to remain there in case Saddam Hussein defies the latest agreement.
Is the deal a good one? Is the continued U.S. military build up necessary? What would have been the consequences of a military strike? Did the U.S. military presence facilitate the proposed diplomatic solution to the crisis?
Answering your questions are Mr. John Bolton and Dr. John Calabrese. Mr Bolton, a former State Department official, is now senior vice president of the American Enterprise Institute. Dr. Calabrese is a resident scholar at the Middle East Institute.
Why are we so concerned with Saddam Hussein's development of weapons of mass destruction? Upon what does basis of authority Washington stand in planning a unilateral military attack on any country? Has the U.S. lost its credibility in the region as an honest broker? Will the Arab states support U.S. policies against Saddam in the future? Has the U.N. brokered deal with Iraq resolved the crisis or is it just an interlude to war?
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