The Arab League Said, “Iraq, Accept the Inspection.”

Since the Permanent Members of the UN Security Council agreed to set the deadline for Iraq to accept the UN Arms Inspectors, the ‘Iraq Solution,’ which the US President George W. Bush proposed during his address at the UN on the 12th, was quickly getting support from the international society. In the Arab circle, on the other hand, since Iraq’s traditional allied country Qatar suggested to provide military bases for America in Qatar on the 13th, the Anti-America solidarity, which had been continued so far, was started to break. Iraq seemed to take a step back saying they wanted a peaceful solution since there was more pressure from the international society.

▽Agreed on the deadline for the Arms Inspection=The British Minister of the Foreign Affairs Jack Straw said that the 5 Permanent Members of the UN Security Council (The USA, The UK, France, China, and Russia) agreed unanimously to set the deadline for Iraq to accept the Arms Inspectors on the Resolution against Iraq, which the UN is trying to make by a request from the President Bush. However, he added, “The detailed timetable is not settled, yet.”

The President Bush said when he met with the 13 leaders of the Central African countries, “The deadline we are talking about is not in months or years, but in days or weeks,” so he urged the UN again to set the deadline sooner.

The Ministers of the Foreign Affairs of Russia, China, and France, who was opposed to or reserved to decide about the US attacking Iraq out of the Permanent Members, said during their addresses at the UN General Assembly on the 13th, “To set the deadline does not mean to support the US mobilizing her army.”

However most experts are predicting that after setting about 3 weeks deadline on the UN Resolution and if Iraq does not agree on it, there is a fat chance that America starts military actions as early as late November or early December.

The New York Times reported on the 14th that in relation to this the Bush Administration was trying to add, “If Iraq does not give up the arms, it must be recognized that any member of the UN can use military powers,” in the UN Resolution.

▽Crack in the Anti-America solidarity among the Arab circle=The Qatar Government, which had strong relationship with Iraq as much as it restarted relationship with Iraq first after the Gulf War in 1991, suggested on the 13th that they might provide military bases for America when America attacks Iraq. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Qatar, Seik Hamad bin Jasim al-Thani, said during an interview with the CNN, “We are seriously considering to allow America to use our bases,” and “we are a small country so we must rely on the power of America.”

The Alwoodeid Base, which seems to be, for sure, used as the core base for America when they attack Iraq, is in the desert 45Km away southwest from the capitol of Qatar, Doha, and it has the longest runway, which is 4.5km long, in the Middle East. America has been built cutting edge hangars, bunkers, and air control devices in the Alwoodeid Base in case of Saudi Arabia’s not providing bases for America.

The 22 members of the Arab League had a separate meeting at the UN Headquarters on the 13th and said, “Iraq should pay attention to the request of the international society to accept the UN’s request to accept the Arms Inspection.”

Since the pressure of Arms Inspection is getting heavier even in the Arab circle, the Iraq Foreign Affairs Minister Naji Sabri, who arrived in New York on the 14th to participate on the UN General Assembly, suggested that Iraq had will to settle this peacefully by saying, “We want this crisis to be solved without the UN Resolution.” The Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Maher also carefully expected a chance for Iraqi Government to change dramatically by saying, “There must be a sign of flexible change in the Iraqi policy of ‘Only War.’

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