Prophetic Times
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25 JANUARY 2003 |
EU ALLIES UNITE AGAINST IRAQ
WAR
The decision was announced in Paris, at a
joint news conference by President Jacques Chirac and Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder on the 40th anniversary of the two countries' post-war friendship
treaty.
In an example of the Franco-German opposition, the NATO
alliance was unable to approve a US request to advance military planning in the
event of war.
Both the US and Britain are sending troops to the Gulf
region in preparation for a possible attack on Iraq, which has been ordered to
show it has no banned weapons of mass destruction.
And in a further sign that that a military intervention may
be unavoidable, President George W Bush threatened with war crimes charges any
Iraqis who used banned weapons in a possible conflict…"
Western intelligence sources said
Iraq has signed agreements with several Slovakian companies for spare parts for
the T-72 main battle tank and unidentified self-propelled artillery systems.
The companies were not identified but were said to have access to a range of
surplus Soviet-origin systems and spare parts in the Slovakian military.
'At this point, no deliveries have been made,' an
intelligence source said. 'But the deals have been completed and Iraq wants
deliveries to begin over the next few weeks.'
Iraq has a fleet of 700 T-72 and T-72M tanks purchased
in the 1980s. Baghdad also has a range of self-propelled guns and howitzers,
including the Soviet-origin 152 mm M-1973 and the 122 mm M-1974. Both models
were obtained in the mid-1970s…"
The idea is part of the political
package France and Germany presented yesterday to the convention, under the
chairmanship of Valéry Giscard d’Estaing, the former French President, that is
drawing up a constitutional blueprint for the EU.
The bedrock of the service would be European
Commission representations already established in about 130 countries. Under
the Franco-German plan, their remit would be broadened to represent the whole
EU. They would work closely with national diplomats and be answerable to a
European Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The new post would replace the EU’s existing
schizophrenic approach to foreign policy, whereby external relations are
handled jointly by Chris Patten, who is responsible to the Commission, and
Javier Solana, who answers to EU governments. The position is intended to
combine the political authority that SeZor Solana enjoys with the financial and
personnel resources under Mr. Patten’s control.
Peter Hain, the Government’s representative at the
convention, said yesterday that the idea had merits, provided that the holder
took instructions from member states. 'It is important to ensure Europe speaks
with a clear voice on the international stage,' he said. 'If George W. Bush
wants to phone Europe, he speaks to the President of the Council (of Europe).
If Colin Powell wants to, then he dials the new foreign representative.'
…"
The Bush administration has agreed to consider an Arab
proposal for immunity from war crimes prosecution for Saddam, his aides and
their families in return for their exile. The agreement was said to have
represented a reversal of the administration's position last week.
Arab diplomatic sources said the Bush administration's
new position has opened the way for a visit by an envoy of Saddam to Cairo to
discuss the exile proposal. The sources said former Iraqi minister Ali Majid
Hassan, who is also Saddam's cousin, is expected to arrive in Egypt over the
next 48 hours.
Majid was to have arrived in Cairo on Saturday to
deliver a message from Saddam on an Arab proposal that he enter exile as a
means to avoid a U.S.-led war against Iraq. But the United States had warned
that Majid was a war criminal and could be subject to arrest and prosecution…"
"NO QUESTION"
'There is no question Iraq has
transferred materials to Syria,' Netanyahu said in an interview with CNN's
'Late Edition,' when asked what information Israel possessed on the alleged
transfers.
Asked what
weapons Iraq had sent, Netanyahu said: 'obviously material that is sufficiently
important for Iraq to move into Syria, either because it does want this to be
found, or because it wants to have (them) in reserve.'
He said this
was 'one of several possibilities: but none are good.'
'There is
obviously some very close cooperation going on between Saddam Hussein and the
regime in Damascus,' he added.
Netanyahu
was repeating allegations made by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in December that
Israel had information Iraq had recently transferred chemical or biological
weapons into Syria to hide them.
Syria
dismissed the allegations as 'laughable.'
UN arms
experts have been hunting for banned weapons of mass destruction in Iraq since
late November, and are due to present a key status report on Iraq's cooperation
to the UN Security Council on January 27.
Netanyahu
also said it was a question of time before Iraqi President Saddam Hussein
developed nuclear weapons.
'We know it
is just a question of time before he acquires nuclear weapons, we know he might
use those weapons, or use them as an umbrella for al-Qaeda type operations,' he
said, referring to the Islamist terror group headed by Osama bin Laden…"
TOP MILITARY OFFICIAL PREDICTS EU
MERGE WITH NATO
Jan 19, 2003 The EU Observer reports: "The European pillar
in NATO and European security and defense policy (ESDP) will be merged,
according to Gustav Hägglund, chairman of the Military Committee of the
European Union.
Speaking at the University of
Helsinki, the European Union's highest military official added that if Finland
does not decide in favor of NATO membership by the end of this decade it really
makes no difference. By that time EU security and defense policy and the
European pillar in NATO will all be the same.
Mr. Hägglund
expressed deep concern about America neglecting the importance of NATO and
Europe. He referred to the new security strategy presented by US President,
George Bush, in September which barely mentioned NATO and Europe. 'The new goal
for Europe is to maintain the relevance of NATO in American security thinking',
Mr. Hägglund said.
The Finns
are in the middle of a heated debate over whether to join NATO and give up
their traditional neutrality. This could end up being decided by
referendum…"
Compiled by L.
Jim
Tuck , Pastor
UCGIA,