Blair continues Iraq diplomacy drive (AND DASCHLE CRIES...)

Tony Blair travels to Spain on Thursday to complete a week of intense diplomatic activity ahead of crucial talks on the Iraq crisis with President Bush.

Mr Blair's meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Maria Aznar in Madrid, follows telephone discussions with the leaders of France, Italy, Canada, Australia, Turkey and Greece.

In Washington, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate, Tom Daschle, said he hopes Britain's prime minister will act as a restraining influence on the US president at Friday's meeting.

Notable exceptions were France and Germany, both members of the UN Security Council, which may be asked to vote on launching an attack on Iraq.

Among the signatories of the statement, only the UK and Spain are also Security Council members.

In the article, which was also published in the Wall Street Journal, the leaders of the UK, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Denmark say the attacks of 11 September on America "were an attack on us all".

They go on to say this week's UN weapons inspectors' reports have confirmed Iraq's practice of "deception, denial and non-compliance".

"We must remain united in insisting that his regime is disarmed," say the leaders.

The leaders argued the UN's credibility and world stability will suffer if a dictator is allow systematically to violate UN resolutions.

US Defense Secretary Mr Rumsfeld last week dismissed France and Germany as "old Europe" and said the vast majority of EU leaders were "with the United States on this".

Adding a voice of moderation in Washington, Mr Daschle emphasised the importance of Mr Blair's visit.

He said: "I think it's important, however one characterises it, that we do not rush to war, that we take this very, very deliberately and cautiously.

"And I hope he [Mr Blair] will express those words - the need for caution again - when he comes to Washington."

On Wednesday evening, Mr Blair met Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi in Downing Street, adding to his series of phone talks with world leaders this week.

Mr Berlusconi said: "I think we will find incontrovertible evidence against Iraq."

In a phone call on Tuesday, French President Jacques Chirac told Mr Blair nothing justified war at the moment, according to a French spokeswoman.

Downing Street upped its persuasion campaign on Wednesday when it said there was evidence al-Qaeda "operatives" were being sheltered in Iraq.

Mr Blair's official spokesman for the first time explicitly linked al-Qaeda and the Iraqi regime, which flatly denied the claim.

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, speaking on the American ABC television network, challenged the US to produce any evidence of its claims of al-Qaeda links.

Mr Aziz said: "Everybody in the region, everybody in the world knows Iraq has no connection with al-Qaeda."

Mr Blair said that after Iraq had been "dealt with", North Korea would have to be confronted through the UN.

About 100 peace protesters gathered outside Downing Street on Wednesday evening, while more than 200 people attended an anti-war rally in Bristol.

Earlier, eight European leaders urged all of Europe to stand united behind America in its tough stance on Iraq.

Here's the text of the letter signed by the leaders of eight European nations:

The real bond between the United States and Europe is the values we share: democracy, individual freedom, human rights and the Rule of Law. These values crossed the Atlantic with those who sailed from Europe to help create the USA.

Today they are under greater threat than ever. The attacks of 11 September showed just how far terrorists - the enemies of our common values - are prepared to go to destroy them. Those outrages were an attack on all of us.

In standing firm in defence of these principles, the governments and people of the United States and Europe have amply demonstrated the strength of their convictions. Today more than ever, the transatlantic bond is a guarantee of our freedom.

We in Europe have a relationship with the United States which has stood the test of time. Thanks in large part to American bravery, generosity and far-sightedness, Europe was set free from the two forms of tyranny that devastated our continent in the 20th century: Nazism and Communism.

Thanks, too, to the continued co-operation between Europe and the United States we have managed to guarantee peace and freedom on our continent.

The transatlantic relationship must not become a casualty of the current Iraqi regime's persistent attempts to threaten world security. In today's world, more than ever before, it is vital that we preserve that unity and cohesion.

We know that success in the day-to-day battle against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction demands unwavering determination and firm international cohesion on the part of all countries for whom freedom is precious.

The Iraqi regime and its weapons of mass destruction represent a clear threat to world security. This danger has been explicitly recognised by the United Nations. All of us are bound by Security Council Resolution 1441, which was adopted unanimously.

We Europeans have since reiterated our backing for Resolution 1441, our wish to pursue the UN route and our support for the Security Council, at the Prague Nato Summit and the Copenhagen European Council. In doing so, we sent a clear, firm and unequivocal message that we would rid the world of the danger posed by Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction. We must remain united in insisting that his regime is disarmed.

The solidarity, cohesion and determination of the international community are our best hope of achieving this peacefully. Our strength lies in unity. The combination of weapons of mass destruction and terrorism is a threat of incalculable consequences. We are confident that the Security Council will face up to its responsibilities.

It is one at which all of us should feel concerned. Resolution 1441 is Saddam Hussein's last chance to disarm using peaceful means. The opportunity to avoid greater confrontation rests with him.

Sadly this week the UN weapons inspectors have confirmed that his long-established pattern of deception, denial and non-compliance with UN Security Council resolutions is continuing.

Europe has no quarrel with the Iraqi people. Indeed, they are the first victims of Iraq's current brutal regime.

Our goal is to safeguard world peace and security by ensuring that this regime gives up its weapons of mass destruction. Our governments have a common responsibility to face this threat. Failure to do so would be nothing less than negligent to our own citizens and to the wider world.

The United Nations Charter charges the Security Council with the task of preserving international peace and security. To do so, the Security Council must maintain its credibility by ensuring full compliance with its resolutions. We cannot allow a dictator to systematically violate those Resolutions.

If they are not complied with, the Security Council will lose its credibility and world peace will suffer as a result. We are confident that the Security Council will face up to its responsibilities.

Jose Maria Aznar, Spain
Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, Portugal
Silvio Berlusconi, Italy
Tony Blair, United Kingdom
Vaclav Havel, Czech Republic
Peter Medgyessy, Hungary
Leszek Miller, Poland
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Denmark

BBC

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HERE IS AT LEAST ONE AQ TERRORIST THAT IRAQ IS HARBORING. (see thread)

Last August, Zarqawi ended up in Baghdad, where he stayed in the hospital for several weeks following the amputation of his leg by Iraqi doctors.

U.S. intelligence learned of Zarqawi's presence in Iraq through intercepts of phone calls he made to his family in Jordan, sources told The Post.

Checkmate!

DELIVERER OF DOOM
			Posted by RobFromGa to kattracks On News/Activism 01/30/2003 3:53 AM EST #3 of 18 Last August, Zarqawi ended up in Baghdad, where he stayed in the hospital for several weeks following the amputation of his leg by Iraqi doctors. U.S. intelligence learned of Zarqawi's presence in Iraq through intercepts of phone calls he made to his family in Jordan, sources told The Post. Checkmate! Iraq harboring AQ terrorists.