Diplomatic discussions have continued in the Middle East and further afield over how to resolve the Iraqi weapons inspection crisis. Below is a selection of reports and comment from the region's media:

Kuwaiti foreign minister says Iraq has "bad intentions"

Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Shaykh Sabah al-Ahmad on Wednesday accused Iraq of bad intentions towards its Gulf neighbours in its continuing stand-off with UN weapons inspectors, the Kuwaiti news agency Kuna reported.

Egyptian President Husni Mubarak has warned of a "massacre" if Baghdad fails to comply

Shaykh Sabah, who is also first deputy prime minister, said "stability would not return to the region as long as Iraq continues to obstruct the work of the weapons inspectors and continues to insist on holding on to these weapons, an attitude which shows bad intentions on Iraq's part towards the countries of the region," the agency reported.

Arab League chief says Iraqi stance 'flexible'

Arab League Secretary-General Dr Ismat Abd al-Majid

Arab League Secretary-General Ismat Abd al-Majid has said Iraq's stance on UN weapons inspections is flexible, and has expressed "deep concern" at the US position.

In statements to the Egyptian news agency MENA in Cairo, he described "Iraq's current stance vis-a-vis the crisis as flexible," adding that "Baghdad is complying with UN Security Council resolutions, especially since allowing the inspection of eight presidential sites and 60 sensitive facilities by the United Nations".

"On the other hand, the US stance is not thus regarding proposed diplomatic and political solutions to the crisis," he said, and voiced "deep concern over the Iraqi crisis in the light of the declared US stances," the agency reported.

Abd al-Majid said there should be no preconditions to the start of talks to end the crisis peacefully, and suggested "giving negotiations a chance for a few weeks to reach a compromise on a problem which dates back seven years".

Palestinians ask US for gas masks

Palestinian Health Minister Riyad al-Zanun urged the USA on Sunday to supply the Palestinians with medical aid similar to that provided to Israel, in view of the crisis in Iraq, Palestinian TV reported.

In a meeting with US Consul John Herbst, Al-Zanun asked for medical assistance, including first-aid rooms, gas masks and vaccines, and for two chemical and biological experts.

He said urgent letters had been sent to the WHO and the US consulate following Israeli statements on a US airlift plan to carry large quantities of vaccines and masks.

Al-Zanun said the USA should therefore supply medical aid to the Palestinians as well.

"We believe that the United States and the US people cannot act in a discriminatory way when it comes to possible casualties. We ask therefore that the Palestinian people be given their share of gas first-aid rooms and gas masks," the TV quoted him as saying.

Netanyahu says Palestinians should change stand on Iraq

Binyamin Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has urged the Palestinian authorities to change their position on the Iraqi crisis.

Israel forces radio said he was talking during a ceremony to award study grants to Druze and Circassian students in Akko.

"I am very perturbed by the manifestations of support for Saddam Husayn among residents of the territories," Netanyahu was quoted as saying.

"Anyone who sides with him does not side with peace. We would like to see other expressions emanating from the PA (Palestinian Authority). Anyone who cares about the Iraqi people should be against Saddam Hussein instead of helping him, and those who want peace can certainly give no support to the calls for the destruction of Tel Aviv and of Israelis," he said in remarks broadcast on the radio.

"It would be proper - even mandatory, I would say - for the PA to change its line at once," he said.

Netanyahu says Israel preparing in case of strike on Iraq

Excerpt from report by Israel radio on 9th February

In Israel, people are preparing for the worst: The BBC's Lyse Doucet reports (Dur: 3' 25")

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has said that Israel is quietly and systematically completing preparations to defend its citizens against a possible Iraqi attack.

Netanyahu reiterated that Israel has the right to defend itself, although the chances of its being attacked are very slim ...

Source: Voice of Israel, Jerusalem, in Hebrew 0800 gmt 9 Feb 98

Minister says Israel received messages from Iraq

Israeli Defence Minister Yitzhaq Mordekhay has Israel has received both overt and secret messages from Iraq.

He was responding to reports that Russia had conveyed a message from Iraqi President Saddam Husayn to Israel saying that Israel would not attack Israel.

"There are overt messages and there are secret messages," Mordekhay told Israeli television. "We are studying these messages, but we are basing our plans mainly on the ongoing evaluation the Defence Ministry has been making ... We will base our approach on our own situation analyses."

Asked if Israel had sent messages to Baghdad, he said: "The other side knows what our clear, unequivocal message is - namely, that we want to stay out of the circle of confrontation despite our obvious desire to see the United States pursue its policy".

"They know what our thoughts and intentions are ... all those who need to know already know that if they try to harm us, God forbid, we have the freedom of action to do whatever is necessary" ...

Syrian, Iraqi stances "identical": Syrian radio quotes Iraqi minister

Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Said al-Sahhaf held talks with Syrian President Hafiz al-Asad in Damascus this week, Syrian radio reported.

Al-Sahhaf said he had given Asad a verbal message from President Saddam Husayn on the crisis with the USA.

The crisis centres on Iraq's refusal to allow unrestricted access to UN weapons inspectors

"I also acquainted his excellency with the Iraqi viewpoint to end the current crisis with the United States in accordance with the Security Council resolutions and, at the same time, in a way that respects Iraq's sovereignty and the Iraqi people's dignity," al-Sahhaf was quoted as saying.

"The policies of both countries, Iraq and Syria, are very close, in fact, identical in terms of rejecting the use of force and US military threats," he said.

Bahraini emir receives Cohen, urges Iraq to implement UN resolutions

Excerpts from report by the Gulf news agency Wakh

Manama, 11th February: His Highness Shaykh Isa Bin Salman Al Khalifah, the emir of Bahrain ... received US Defence Secretary William Cohen and his accompanying delegation in Manama this morning.

US Defence Secretary William Cohen

Cohen is visiting Bahrain at the end of a regional tour. His highness the emir welcomed the US defence secretary and reviewed with him the current developments of the Iraqi crisis with the United Nations.

Cohen briefed their highnesses the emir, the prime minister and the heir apparent on the US viewpoint on this crisis.

His highness the emir underlined the need to increase efforts to find a diplomatic solution for the Iraqi crisis that would spare the Iraqi people and the region the dire consequences of a military confrontation between Iraq and the United States.

His highness also urged Iraq to comply with UN resolutions and allow the UN arms inspection commission to continue its inspection of the sites, which are suspected of containing weapons...

Source: Wakh news agency, Manama, in Arabic 0910 gmt 11 Feb 98

Turkish forces "taking precautions" to prevent migration from northern Iraq

Excerpts from report by Turkish TV on 10th February

General Ilhan Kilic, commander of the Turkish Air Force, has described reports that a wave of migration has started in northern Iraq as unfounded ...

Turkey says it has received no formal US request to use its Incirlik air base

In reply to a reporter's question on whether Gen Kilic had received any information to the effect that a wave of migration was under way in northern Iraq, considering that the air force would have the most reliable information on this, Gen Kilic said:

[Kilic] No. At this stage, it is only here that I heard anything about migration; however, the Turkish Armed Forces are taking precautions ...

Source: TRT TV, Ankara, in Turkish 1800 gmt 10 Feb 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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