Hungary authorizes use of airspace in war against Iraq

AP | 3/16/03

[kattracks]

BUDAPEST, Hungary, Mar 16, 2003 (AP WorldStream via COMTEX) -- Hungary on Sunday approved use of its airspace by forces seeking to make Iraq comply with United Nations resolutions, the government said.

Permission to use Hungary's airspace and designated airports was requested on Saturday by the United States and Britain, the government said in a statement after an extraordinary Cabinet meeting.

In the statement, the Socialist-led government said it considered that the use of force against Iraq should occur "only as a last resort."

Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs said the move did not transform Hungary into a participant in the war against Iraq and that no Hungarian troops would take part in such a war.

The center-right opposition parties criticized the government' decision, which did not need parliamentary approval.

Janos Ader, a leader of Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party, said a 1998 parliamentary decision allowing the government to decide on the use of airspace in military action against Iraq did not apply to the current request because there was no specific U.N. Security Council resolution behind it.

The Hungarian Democratic Forum said it opposed a war in Iraq and any measure, including the use of the airspace, which could play a role in bringing one about.

In December, Hungary only allowed the U.S. Army to train Iraqi dissidents at an airbase south of Budapest for non-combat roles in case of war in Iraq.

Last week, Hungary also donated 2,000 sets of chemical suits and gas masks to help Turkey defend itself from chemical and biological attacks in case of military action in Iraq.

[Justice]

[x1stcav]

We're finding out who our real friends are real fast.

[ALASKA]

I was in Hungary in January. The Hungarians are good people who have a very recent memory of living under a repressive regime. I am glad to have them onboard with us.

[x1stcav]

When I was a kid my family sponsored an Hungarian family to come to the States after the uprising. This was in the late 50's when I was 13 years old. I never knew their given names; they were simply 'Anyu' (Mother) and 'Apu" (Father) since this is how they refrred to each other, we picked it up as kids.

I was already a conservative and anti-communist but, after listening to the stories of brutal the repression these people had to tell, it made me just not an anti-communist but a hater of communism.

Such great people, who have since passed on. When I was in SE Asia they never failed once a month to send 'care' packages to me of homemade apricot jam and, believe it or not, fresh bread. My platoon went crazy over this.

There was a note to me in everyone of these packages thanking me for fighting the Communists. These people hadn't forgotten because they had lived the nightmare.

[afuturegovernor]

A left-center government from Hungary is more supportive than France. That really says something about our other "so-called ally."