Posted on 10-2-2003

Fight For Empire 21 Sharpens
Saturday 08 February 2003,

Reuters, by Hassan Hafidh and Emma Thomasson,
Introduced by Alan Marston

Intro: Where money (oil is money)is involved worlds collide. The worlds of
mutual interest at this point in time are divided in respect of Iraq oil
into the USA/Britain/Australia, the rest of Europe lead by Franco-German
interests, Japan, China, and the rest who are caught with their alliances
down.

The biggest battle is not with Iraq, it is over Iraq and between the global
ambitions of the US current oilopoly and countries who feel big enough to
resist it - after all, the USA has peaked and is transparently on its way
down the imperial hill leading to a scramble for the next ascendent power.

The real war is between the economic interests of Franco-German dominated
Europe and US dominated America, bot of whom want allies. The real question
is, how will people side, or, more to the point, will people continue to
side with the imperial ambitions of any nation?


BAGHDAD/MUNICH (Reuters) - Chief U.N. arms inspector Hans Blix called new
disarmament talks with Iraqi officials on Saturday "very substantial," as
the United States rebuked European allies for their reluctance to back war
on Baghdad.

Blix and chief U.N. atomic expert Mohamed ElBaradei opened two days of
talks in Baghdad as they prepared to present a fresh report to the U.N.
Security Council next Friday that could start a countdown to war.

In Germany, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told a security conference
the world was serious about disarming Baghdad. He rounded on France,
Germany and Belgium for "inexcusable" stalling of NATO moves to help
protect Turkey from any war in its neighbor Iraq.

Apparently undeterred, Germany announced a new Franco-German initiative to
try to avert military conflict. A German magazine reported it involved
sending thousands of U.N. peacekeeping troops to Iraq and trebling the
number of arms inspectors.

Rumsfeld said however he had not been officially informed of the initiative
and officials expressed skepticism over it.

Speaking to journalists after talks with German Defense Minister Peter
Struck, Rumsfeld said: "I heard about it from the press. No official word.
I have no knowledge of it."

A senior U.S. official said Rumsfeld had questioned Struck on reports of
the proposal and the German side had confirmed they were talking to the
French but were not ready to discuss the plan with the Americans.

"It's kind of extraordinary that the secretary of defense has been in
Munich more than 24 hours and we get to hear about a major diplomatic
initiative through Reuters," the official said.

BUSH APPEARS TO PREPARE FOR WAR

In Washington, President Bush appeared to be preparing his nation for war
in a radio address: "The United States, along with a growing coalition of
nations, will take whatever action is necessary to defend ourselves and
disarm the Iraqi regime."

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a speech at William and Mary College
in Virginia, warned Washington against striking Iraq on its own, saying
collective action under a U.N. umbrella would have greater legitimacy and
better odds of success.

In Baghdad, a U.N. source said Iraqi had handed over documents to Blix and
ElBaradei during their first round of talks on Saturday.

"The Iraqi side gave us documents. We will work on them tonight and will
discuss them tomorrow," the source said.

Blix and ElBaradei are in Baghdad for the first time since Secretary of
State Colin Powell spelled out to the Security Council last Wednesday
Washington's case against Iraq.

Blix categorized Saturday's talks as "very substantial."

ElBaradei said: "The Iraqi side is providing explanations on some of the
issues. We have discussed the (U-2) surveillance flights, scientists'
interviews as well as outstanding chemical, biological and missile issues."

They have warned Iraq it must take drastic steps to avert a U.S.-led war to
rid it of alleged weapons of mass destruction.

Babel, Iraq's most influential newspaper, said Baghdad would do its best to
make the visit a success.

"NO ONE WANTS WAR"

"No one wants war. War is never a first or an easy choice. But the risks of
war need to be balanced against the risks of doing nothing while Iraq
pursues weapons of mass destruction," Rumsfeld told the conference in the
south German city of Munich.

"Clearly, momentum is building, momentum that sends a critically important
message to the Iraqi regime -- about our seriousness of purpose and the
world's determination that Iraq disarm.

"This is not months or years, this is days or weeks we're going to know
whether they are going to cooperate," he said.

"He (Iraqi President Saddam Hussein) has not been contained, he is
successfully getting into that country darn near everything he wants."

Laying bare deep U.S.-European divisions over Iraq, Rumsfeld said NATO's
failure to agree on planning defense measures for alliance member Turkey
risked undermining NATO's credibility.

Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer of Germany, a firm opponent of war on
Iraq, replied by insisting peace should be given a chance. He said Berlin
stood by NATO obligations but wanted to wait until after the U.N.
inspectors' report.

In Ankara, Prime Minister Abdullah Gul sought to ease concerns in Turkey
about a war, saying it must be prepared if its close ally the United States
struck neighboring Iraq.

Ankara has agreed to let U.S. engineers upgrade Turkish air bases and sea
ports ahead of a parliamentary vote on February 18 to open the facilities
to U.S. forces in the event of war.

POLLS SHOW MOST TURKS OPPOSE WAR

Opinion polls show four out of five Turks oppose a possible war on a fellow
Muslim state.

Confirming the Franco-German peace initiative, a German government
spokesman said: "I can confirm that there are joint considerations on
finding a peaceful alternative to a military solution to the Iraq
conflict." He gave no details.

A report by news magazine Der Spiegel said the plan for U.N. troops to
enforce disarmament was to be put to the Security Council. It would also
involve stricter rules on exports to Iraq and an agreement with Iraq's
neighbors to stop oil smuggling.

French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said in Munich Paris had never
ruled out military action to disarm Iraq, but it would have to be a last
resort.

Amid a huge U.S. military buildup in the Gulf, Bush has said he would
welcome a new U.N. resolution after one in November that warned of serious
consequences if Iraq failed to comply.

Diplomats said a new Security Council resolution seeking international
legitimacy for war might not include a deadline for Saddam to comply, or
explicitly authorize force.