Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, in an interview with Iraqi television following a three-day visit by Chief UN Weapons Inspector Richard Butler, has repeated the threat that Iraqis will engage in a "jihad", or holy war, if UN sanctions are not lifted. Following is the text of the interview, as broadcast on 21st January:

[Q] What is the mechanism of having experts from the five permanent [UN Security Council] member states participate in the composition of the UN Special Commission [Unscom]? We would like to learn more about this.

[Aziz] These meetings are not within, let us say, the structure of the Unscom. So far, the experts who work with [Unscom head] Butler and who worked with [former Unscom head] Ekeus before him are the ones who decide whether this file has been closed or not and whether this issue has been decided or not.

Richard Butler

Most of those experts, as we said, are either Americans, British or serve the US-British policy of deliberately prolonging work. Our proposition was that what has been achieved so far in the missile, chemical and biological fields be reviewed by experts nominated by their states and from the permanent member states, along with the Unscom experts.

We would sit together and put the results on the table for a scientific, professional and technical discussion. We are confident that when these meetings are held, the results will be better and in favour of Iraq because there would be fair participation by states that have no tendentious objectives against Iraq.

[Q] Mr Tariq Aziz: Butler said this visit would be the last available opportunity for Iraq to resolve the crisis. What is your comment?

[A] That is what he said. As for Iraq, our position is clear and has been expressed by the leader President [Saddam Husayn] in his recent speech and was expressed by all Iraqis at all levels.

We have complied with the UN Security Council resolutions. The UN Security Council has obligations towards Iraq, especially the implementation of Paragraph 22 as a first step towards the lifting of the blockade.

We have fulfilled our obligations, and they have to fulfil their obligations.

When they do not fulfil their obligations towards Iraq, and when the United States and Britain continue to control the UN Security Council resolutions and force the continuation of the blockade, then the Iraqi people and leadership will act in accordance with the Iraqi national interest.

The enemies know that the Iraqi people will wage a jihad. Jihad is a word that cannot be understood by foreigners. However, we Arabs know what the word jihad means. In other words, we will use all the means that will ensure our rights.

Source: Iraqi TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1832 gmt 21 Jan 98

BBC Monitoring (http://www.monitor.bbc.co.uk), based in Caversham in southern England, selects and translates information from radio, television, press, news agencies and the Internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages.
 

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