Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Blair warns Iraq over weapons (ONE WAY OR ANOTHER ALERT)
BBC News ^ | September 29, 2002 | BBC News

Posted on 09/29/2002 1:43:16 PM PDT by MadIvan

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair says President Saddam Hussein of Iraq will be disarmed, one way or the other.

Mr Blair told the BBC there was no disagreement about two essentials - that Saddam Hussein posed a threat, and that he had to be disarmed. The only question was the best way of doing it.

He was speaking as Britain and the United States try to secure backing from other members of the UN Security Council for a tough new resolution on Iraq.

A senior UK official is in Beijing for talks with Chinese officials, following visits by American and British envoys to Paris and Moscow.

Iraq says US jets have bombed the civilian airport in the city of Basra, attacking passenger terminals and the radar system.

'Confident'

Mr Blair said Saddam Hussein had one choice.

"If he wants to avoid conflict he needs to do what the international community is saying," he told the Breakfast with Frost programme.

Asked if Britain would act - along with the United States - if the UN failed to endorse military action against Iraq, Mr Blair did not answer directly.

But he said that the Iraqi leader would be forced to give up his weapons of mass destruction, in any event.

Mr Blair said he was confident that the United Nations would endorse a strong resolution against Iraq.

The resolution drafted by the US and Britain demands "full, final and complete destruction" of Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction. It would let UN inspectors to roam freely around the country.

If Iraq failed to comply with any aspect of the resolution's demands, the draft says "all necessary means" could be used against it - a diplomatic term for military force.

Mr Blair was speaking on the opening day of the annual conference of his Labour Party - which is divided on the use of force against Iraq.

The BBC's Nicholas Jones at the conference says a big anti-war demonstration in London on Saturday has encouraged delegates who want the conference to say that Britain must not join an American attack unless it is authorised by the UN.

Support withheld

As Mr Blair spoke, British envoy William Ehrman was in Beijing to try to secure Chinese approval for the British-American draft resolution.

Although China has said Baghdad should comply with disarmament resolutions, it has also said that any attack not backed by the Security council would have incalculable consequences.

The diplomatic offensive has already taken American and British envoys to Paris and Moscow, although there has been no clear message of support from either capital.

Speaking after meeting US and British officials on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov declined to comment on the draft.

He merely said Moscow favoured "the quickest possible return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq".

The envoys also made little headway on Friday in Paris, where President Jacques Chirac said he continued to support a two-step approach.

Russia, France and China - as permanent members of the Security Council - have the right of veto over any resolution.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: allies; iraq; saddam; uk; un; us
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-43 next last
For some reason I'm thinking of the song by "Blondie":

One way or another, I'm gonna find ya
I'm gonna get cha, get cha get cha, get cha
One way or another, I'm gonna win ya
I'm gonna get cha, get cha get cha, get cha


With you at the first, with you to the last.

Regards, Ivan


1 posted on 09/29/2002 1:43:16 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: BigWaveBetty; schmelvin; MJY1288; terilyn; Ryle; MozartLover; Teacup; rdb3; fivekid; jjm2111; ...
Bump!
2 posted on 09/29/2002 1:43:41 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Thanks for the ping! I love your articles.

(and your commentary)! :)
3 posted on 09/29/2002 1:48:38 PM PDT by terilyn
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Afternoon, Ivan. That's just so good of your PM to be so obliging.

Now, for the rest of the world.
4 posted on 09/29/2002 1:52:37 PM PDT by Desdemona
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Afgahnistan was but the first terrorist regime to go down to our war on terror. Saddam is only next, not last.

You are either with us or against us, if the UN does not go along with us, then they are against us. We should cut them off financially, kick them out of the US and remove ourselves from that organization. If they vote against the resolution, then they are irrelavant anyway.

Let them vote to condemn us to their hearts content, what can they actually do about it?
5 posted on 09/29/2002 1:56:19 PM PDT by Aric2000
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Seeing as you are quoting 'Blondie' lyrics...I think Saddam might be reciting this mantra from 'Heart of Glass'.

``Lost inside Adorable illusion and I cannot hide''

6 posted on 09/29/2002 1:57:38 PM PDT by Happygal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
While the rest of our so-called friends either oppose us outright or shuffle their feet and mumble, it is doubly good to have the U.K. with us. We won't forget it.
7 posted on 09/29/2002 1:59:03 PM PDT by LibKill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Happygal
Somehow I doubt he knows anything other than Arab pop and crooners, mo mhíle grá. He probably sings something like "I Left My Goat in San Francisco" or suchlike in the shower. ;)

Best Regards, Ivan

8 posted on 09/29/2002 2:00:26 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: LibKill
What the article doesn't say is that Blair backhanded Gore on Frost this morning.

Frost asked Blair if he thought Gore was right about America having squandered international goodwill. Blair replied with a rueful smirk and said that he had enough politics at home to worry about to be concerned with that in another country.

Meaning, he doesn't take that criticism seriously, second, he views it as partisan bickering on Gore's part.

Regards, Ivan

9 posted on 09/29/2002 2:03:40 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Desdemona
Now, for the rest of the world.

Apart from Australia, Canada, Israel and Italy...good luck.

Regards, Ivan

10 posted on 09/29/2002 2:04:28 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Hmm. Blair was subtle in his back-handing. Perhaps too subtle for the U.S. audience. :)

Still, it's great to have one true friend of the U.S. in this uncertain world.

11 posted on 09/29/2002 2:20:49 PM PDT by LibKill
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
That was beautiful, Ivan! Our countries make the greatest compatriots! Long may they reign...
The song that comes to my mind though is, "...no where to run, no where to hide..."
I know, I'm dating myself...
best regards to you,
Terri
12 posted on 09/29/2002 2:21:23 PM PDT by Terridan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
"Today we did what we had to do. They counted on America to be passive. They counted wrong." - Ronald Reagan
13 posted on 09/29/2002 2:33:09 PM PDT by Orion78
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: LibKill
Hmm. Blair was subtle in his back-handing. Perhaps too subtle for the U.S. audience. :)

It was indeed subtle. But no politician, really, in Blair's position could come right out and say "Gore is a prat".

Regards, Ivan

14 posted on 09/29/2002 2:34:46 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
What Clintons planned trip to the UK, some say he is dying to rekindle their old friendship?
15 posted on 09/29/2002 3:00:15 PM PDT by Helms
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Helms
What Clintons planned trip to the UK, some say he is dying to rekindle their old friendship?

Clinton in saying that is to help Blair sell the Iraq policy to the left of the Labour Party. However the left of the Labour Party utterly hates Clinton.

Another disrupter is Scott Ritter - he's in Blackpool inciting the far left of Labour. Would you lot PLEASE keep him to yourselves.

Regards, Ivan

16 posted on 09/29/2002 3:01:59 PM PDT by MadIvan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
LOL! Reminds me of Steve Miller: Abracadabra, I'm gonna reach out and grab ya!
17 posted on 09/29/2002 3:02:34 PM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
We could surely find a small pen in Guantanamo for Ritter and Congressman McDermott.
18 posted on 09/29/2002 3:04:20 PM PDT by Scott from the Left Coast
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
Another disrupter is Scott Ritter - he's in Blackpool inciting the far left of Labour. Would you lot PLEASE keep him to yourselves.

Why doesn't he just stay in Iraq, along with the Three Stooges. I'm sure Saddam would set them up nicely.

19 posted on 09/29/2002 3:28:01 PM PDT by ejdrapes
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: MadIvan
I am getting a wee bit tired of all this talk, in the sense that I want action asap! Let's put some teeth behind all these endless words of warning to Iraq.

Would you say that -- behind the scenes -- we are taking three action steps foward for every sentence uttered publicly? That's my hope anyway.

P.S. To James LEONARD Pyke: sign up, dude.

20 posted on 09/29/2002 3:46:26 PM PDT by Donna Lee Nardo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-43 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson