December 20, 2001
Amid signs that the United States may expand its war on terrorism into Iraq, the United Nations secretary general, Kofi Annan, said today that such an action would only increase tensions in the Middle East.
At the same time, however, he told a news conference that Iraq had made no moves to allow United Nations weapons inspectors back into the country.
He said he had addressed the topic with the Iraqi foreign minister, Naji Sabri, during last month's General Assembly session.
"Iraq has to understand that it has to begin responding to Security Council resolutions," particularly the Council's request to allow the inspectors to return, Mr. Annan said. "All their friends have encouraged them to respond and allow the inspectors to come back."
"I don't see any signal that inspectors are about to go back to Iraq, but we also live in a world where unpredictable things happen," he said. United Nations inspectors have been assigned to verify that Iraq has not reconstituted its programs to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons.
Some diplomats have privately welcomed Washington's threats against Iraq, saying that the moves have put pressure on Baghdad to comply with United Nations demands.
Mr. Annan said that "it would be unwise to attack Iraq now," adding that there was no proof of Baghdad's connection to the terrorist attacks.
"I have not seen any evidence linking Iraq to what happened on the 11th of September," he said. "But of course any attempt to do that can exacerbate the situation and raise tensions in a region that is already under strain because of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict."
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