The Iraqi newspaper `Al-Thawrah' has said that Unscom Chairman Richard Butler's motives against Iraq have become "personal". The following are excerpts from the article, as quoted by the Iraqi news agency INA:

Richard Butler

Now Butler has another motive for harming Iraq; that is, other than the fact that he has links with the US government: Now, he has a personal motive, he considers Iraq to be responsible for his loss of credibility as well as the credibility of his committee.

Iraq is also responsible, he believes, for all the criticism and blame dealt to him and to his committee by the UN General Secretariat or by the ambassadors of Security Council member states.

It was Iraq that exposed the fact that Unscom deviated from the set rules and crossed the limits of its international mission.

Iraq proved that Unscom yields to the desires of the US government and uncovered the role Unscom plays in carrying out US policies that are hostile to Iraq and seek to prolong the embargo by triggering crises, propagating lies, taking in spies and covering up for them.

Butler's oversized personal motives forced Iraq to demand that he be dismissed from his job and that the structure of his committee, which lacks neutrality and impartiality, be altered.

Iraq insisted on this demand and believed that it is the best solution that would create an objective, healthy and stable relationship between Iraq and the Security Council - a relationship that would make both sides comfortable and respectful of their respective legal obligations.

This is why Butler believes that Iraq is a personal adversary and even an enemy that must be harmed irrespective of all principles and considerations.

This may be part of human nature.

However, it is made far worse when that particular human is corrupt in the first place.