DATE=  11/20/97

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-222993

TITLE=IRAQ / U-N (L UPDATE)

BYLINE=DOUGLAS ROBERTS

DATELINE=CAIRO

CONTENT=

VOICED AT: 



    ///// EDS: UPDATES CR 2-222963, WITH AZIZ COMMENTS. /////



INTRO:  THE TENSE, THREE-WEEK-OLD CONFRONTATION BETWEEN IRAQ AND 

THE UNITED NATIONS APPARENTLY MOVED TOWARD RESOLUTION THURSDAY.  

V-O-A MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS ROBERTS REPORTS THE 

BREAKTHROUGH CAME AFTER RUSSIA PERSUADED IRAQ TO RESCIND ITS 

DECISION EXPELLING AMERICAN MEMBERS OF THE U-N WEAPONS 

COMMISSION.  



TEXT:  THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS CONTAINED IN A JOINT COMMUNIQUE FROM 

THE IRAQI AND RUSSIAN GOVERNMENTS, BROADCAST THURSDAY BY BAGHDAD 

RADIO.



IT FOLLOWED LENGTHY TALKS IN MOSCOW BETWEEN FOREIGN MINISTER 

YEVGENY PRIMAKOV AND IRAQ'S DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER TARIQ AZIZ.  

MR. PRIMAKOV BRIEFED HIS COUNTERPARTS FROM THE UNITED STATES, 

BRITAIN, AND FRANCE AT A HASTILY-ARRANGED MEETING IN GENEVA, JUST

HOURS BEFORE THURSDAY'S IRAQI ANNOUNCEMENT.



THE COMMUNIQUE SAYS IRAQ HAS AGREED TO THE IMMEDIATE RETURN OF 

THE U-N WEAPONS INSPECTORS, INCLUDING THE AMERICAN INSPECTORS 

EXPELLED BY IRAQ LAST WEEK.



IT SAYS STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE 

WEAPONS COMMISSION, ON THE BASIS OF RESPECT FOR IRAQ'S 

SOVEREIGNTY AND SECURITY.  IT ALSO SAYS RUSSIA WILL WORK FOR A 

SPEEDY END TO THE U-N ECONOMIC SANCTIONS IMPOSED ON IRAQ 

SEVEN-YEARS AGO AFTER ITS INVASION OF NEIGHBORING KUWAIT.



BAGHDAD IS PORTRAYING THE ANNOUNCEMENT AS A MAJOR VICTORY.  STATE

RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERRUPTED REGULAR PROGRAMMING WITH 

BROADCASTS OF PATRIOTIC MUSIC.  THE GOVERNMENT ORGANIZED 

CELEBRATIONS OUTSIDE PARLIAMENT.



BUT DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AZIZ ACKNOWLEDGED IRAQ DID NOT WIN ANY 

SPECIFIC CONCESSIONS IN EXCHANGE FOR ALLOWING THE WEAPONS 

INSPECTORS TO RETURN.  THE IRAQI ENVOY FLEW THURSDAY TO CAIRO TO 

BRIEF EGYPTIAN AND ARAB LEAGUE OFFICIALS.



AT A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE LEAGUE'S NILE-SIDE HEADQUARTERS, MR. 

AZIZ SAID THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT SYMPATHIZES WITH IRAQ'S CONCERNS

AND GRIEVANCES ABOUT THE WEAPONS INSPECTIONS AND THE CONTINUING 

SANCTIONS.  HE SAID THERE WAS  NO  DEAL IN MOSCOW, BUT ADDED IRAQ

IS READY FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION.



MR. AZIZ ALSO SAID DURING THE CRISIS BAGHDAD SUCCEEDED IN DRAWING

WORLDWIDE ATTENTION TO THE SUFFERING OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE.



IRAQI OFFICIALS MAINTAIN THE SANCTIONS SHOULD BE ENDED BECAUSE 

BAGHDAD HAS COMPLIED WITH ALL OF THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL'S 

DEMANDS, INCLUDING THE ELIMINATION OF ITS WEAPONS OF MASS 

DESTRUCTION.



BUT U-N OFFICIALS, AND MOST WESTERN GOVERNMENTS, SAY THAT CLAIM 

IS SIMPLY  NOT  TRUE.



U-N OFFICIALS SAY THE ARMS INSPECTORS WILL RETURN TO BAGHDAD 

SOMETIME FRIDAY.  THEY ARE EXPECTED TO RESUME THEIR VISITS TO 

IRAQI WEAPONS SITES OVER THE WEEK-END.   (SIGNED) 



NEB/DBR/JWH/RAE



20-Nov-97 11:19 AM EST (1619 UTC)

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Source: Voice of America

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