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Iraqi deputy prime minister in Moscow |
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July 27, 2000
MOSCOW (AP) - Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz lashed out against the United States on Wednesday, saying that the U.S.-backed effort to prosecute Iraqi leaders on war crimes charges was "blackmail." As Aziz arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, a London-based group called Indict announced that it had compiled evidence to prosecute Saddam Hussein and several of his senior aides - including Aziz - as war criminals. The group has received financial backing from the United States as part of a package approved by Congress to aid Saddam's opponents. The allegations include war crimes during Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the 1980 invasion of Iran and aggression against Saudi Arabia in 1991. Iraqi officials have consistently denied the allegations, and Aziz appeared incensed by the latest attempt to revive war crimes accusations. "The Iraqi leadership is not going to submit to this blackmail," he snapped at reporters. "We have excellent and normal relations with a majority of the nations of the world, and the idea or the opinion of the American administration toward us is worthless." Aziz added that any war crimes tribunal would first and foremost have to indict U.S. leaders, "because they are criminals and they have killed people blatantly and deliberately." He was referring to the U.S. role in maintaining international sanctions against Iraq. The sanctions, which were imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, have crippled the economy and driven millions of Iraqis into poverty. They are not to be removed until U.N. inspectors verify Iraq is rid of all weapons of mass destruction and the capability to rebuild its arsenal. Aziz came to Moscow this week to rally support for easing or lifting the sanctions and to discuss the two nations' oil trade. Moscow supports Iraq's stance on the sanctions, in part so that Baghdad can make money by selling oil and start repaying a multibillion-dollar Soviet-era debt to Moscow. Aziz met with Sergei Ivanov, head of President Vladimir Putin's advisory Security Council, and Yegor Stroyev, speaker of the upper house of parliament. Aziz had meetings scheduled later Wednesday with Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov. Ivanov said on RTR television that he and Aziz had discussed cooperation "within international frameworks ... and ideas for economic ties, legitimate economic ties between our countries." Stroyev said, "Aziz is an old friend of the (upper house) and we always welcome him." Aziz responded that he and Stroyev saw eye to eye on many issues, including the need to lift the sanctions against Iraq. He offered his own support for Russian efforts to combat radical Islamic groups, assailing "attempts to destabilize the situation inside Russia ... because Russia is a friend of the Arabs and a friend of the Muslims." But Aziz did not directly address Russia's war against Chechen militants. |