Baghdad warned US President George W. Bush Thursday he could spark a global war "with dire consequences" if he resorts to force in retaliation for the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.
"Bush seeks to spark a global world war, without thinking of the dire consequences it will entail and the reactions it will trigger," said Ath-Thawra, mouthpiece of Iraq's ruling Baath Party.
Such a war would harm all sides, including those who imagine they can be safe, the daily said, cited by AFP.
The United States is preparing to retaliate for the attacks and trying to build an international anti-terror coalition. Afghanistan, which hosts Saudi-born Islamist dissident Osama bin Laden, Washington's prime suspect in the terror attacks, is expected to bear the brunt of US wrath.
"Bush wants to launch a crusade outside the framework of international law and without providing concrete evidence to back up his charges against 60 countries classified as terrorist states, states that harbor terrorists, or states that abet terrorism," Ath-Thawra wrote.
Denouncing Bush's attempts to "drag as many countries as he can" into his "crusade," Ath-Thawra said it was necessary to guard US leaders against the grave consequences of their plans for the United States and "humanity at large."
Iraq on Wednesday said it played no role whatsoever in the September 11 kamikaze attacks in the United States.
"The United States, Great Britain, the Western states and the rest of the world know full well that Iraq has no link, near or far, with the attacks against American interests," Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said told Al-Iqtissadi weekly.
In Washington, a US government source said Tuesday that the Central Intelligence Agency was checking reports that a hijacker of one of the airliners that crashed into New York's World Trade Center met a senior Iraqi intelligence official prior to the terror attacks.
"There is an indication that such a meeting occurred earlier this year in Europe," said the source.
The hijacker was Mohammed Atta, the man who is believed to have been on the American Airlines plane that was the first to crash into the World Trade Center.
But the CIA was not certain the meeting "had anything to do with Tuesday's events," the source added.
Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday the United States had no evidence about Baghdad's involvement in the plot. But added that in case Baghdad’s involvement is proved, the US would retaliate.
The Hürriyet Turkish daily reported Monday that Iraq would be a target. It claimed that units of the Turkish army would take part in the operations in north Iraq, as part of a three-act offensive dubbed “the Noble Eagle.”
The reports alleged that south Iraq would be targeted, too, while operations against bin Laden would be launched from the Punjab area in Pakistan, where US troops have already begun deployment, it claimed.
The Noble Eagle consists of three thrusts, according to the report: Attacks on north Iraq, attacks on south Iraq, and the Punjab operations, which are aimed mainly at occupying the Qandahar area in Afghanistan, where Bin Laden is believed to hide.
The report also alleges that the US, British and Turkish troops will target Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in an attempt to topple his regime – Albawaba.com
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
