by Elson Concepcion Perez - for Granma
We don't rule out a major act of agression by the United States. They are a country
that has no respect for international treaties. All they want is to dominate the world.
The agression that they are planning against Iraq will also probably invovle other
countries and it could come at any moment.
So says Zuhair Dhaif, director for Latin America of the Iraqi Baath Party, in an
interview with Granma.
Dhaif, who leads his country's delegation to the Sao Paulo Forum, added that
America's concept of terrorism is "miserable." They believe that those who are not at
their side are on the side of terrorism. Iraq rejects terrorism and at the same time
rejects the attitude of the United States."
"Thus we see how Washington intends to impose its wrongheaded concepts, in order
to use them as excuses for agression, not only against Iraq. It is an attitude that they
apply against all countries that reject U.S. positions - be they Latin American, Asian
or African.
-- What about the the topic of Inspectors?
The inspectors have not returned to Iraq because their activities don't correspond to
the intentions of the United Nations, but only to the United States. Many of them are
spies who arew linked tot he CIA. That was plainly confirmed. Iraq has no weapons of
mass destruction and that was confirmed by the inspection missions that were in
that country for ten years. Our country signed a treaty forbidding such weapons in
1991.
-- Is their any knowledge at this moment of a possible U.S. attack against
Iraq?
- - the war against Iraq is taking place every day. for the past eight years Iraq has
been bombarded daily. Our citizens in the north and south of the country endure this.
They bomb houses, hopitals, schools, mosques, churhes...
-- What has been the cost of the agressions?
-- The elderly, women and children have been the main victims. Almost a million and
a half Iraqi citizens have died as a result of the embargo imposed by the United
States. The economic losses are incalculable.
"The Iraqi people have bravely resisted the agression. They know how to defend their
sovereignty and their independence. The will to live an independent life is the only
alternative."
-- Are the Iraqi people preapred for the possibble agression?
-- We continue to prpare and fdefend the population. All our citizens are prepared to
defend the country.
Iraq views with great respect the solidarity of friendly governments and parties that
are ooposed to the American agression.
That is one of the most important factors that behind Iraq's resistance.
