US National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice Thursday confirmed her country has not yet decided on striking Iraq, however emphasized the need to prevent Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from meddling with his obligations.
During an interview with the Arabic al-Musawar magazine set to be published in Cairo Friday, Rice said there was a need for United Nations inspectors to return to Iraq for just serving as an instrument to ensure a specific target - that Iraq be free of weapons of mass destruction.
However, she indicated that Saddam Hussein was still refusing to recognize Kuwait's presence, threatening his neighbors and even brutalizing his own people by using poisonous gas against them, thus requiring the need to prevent the Iraqi President from meddling with his obligations, according to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA).
With regards to related matters, Rice said that US Vice President Dick Cheney would confer during his current tour in the region with allies regarding their strategic position and "not just on Iraq".
Rice added that there are new possibilities to reach peace in the Middle East and that was the reason why Washington had re-sent its special envoy Anthony Zinni to the region. She concluded that the ideas recently floated by Saudi crown prince Abdullah provided an important push for the Middle East peace process.
Cairo Visit
Meanwhile, an Iraqi presidential envoy arrived in Cairo on Thursday for discussions with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in the framework of a tour of Arab states aimed at organizing opposition against a possible US military operation against Iraq.
The visit by Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council, followed Mubarak's talks on Wednesday with US Vice President Dick Cheney, who is in the region to muster support for the US war on terrorism.
Cheney, who is seeking support for possible military attack against Baghdad, has said the US goal was to prevent countries including Iraq from sponsoring terror or holding weapons of mass destruction.
Mubarak said on Wednesday after meeting Cheney that Egypt would try to push Baghdad to accept UN arms inspectors back into the country. Iraq, for its part, firmly claims it has destroyed its chemical and biological weapons and does not support terror.
The Iraqi envoy has visited thus far Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Ibrahim said on Wednesday in Beirut that a threat against Iraq amounted to a threat "against the whole Arab nation." (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
