Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz, arriving in Italy Thursday dismissed suggestions that Baghdad's missile program breached U.N. resolutions.
Saying that Iraq faced "a war of aggression," Aziz urged Muslims and Christians to work together to avoid bloodshed and defeat "the forces of evil." Aziz is to meet Friday with Pope John Paul. Aziz, who is a Christian, said that everyone who believed in peace and justice was opposed to the U.S. position.
"The Holy Father and Vatican and the believers in God, Muslims and Christians, are trying their best to stop this aggression," he told reporters. "We have to discuss how to continue the work in that direction and mobilize all the forces of good against the forces of evil."
In an interview with Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, published Thursday, Aziz called Bush "the new Hitler" and said he wanted to ask Berlusconi why he supported Washington."What have we done to the Italians?" he said.
Aziz's arrival in Rome coincided with reports that independent experts had determined that Iraq's production of the Al Samoud 2 missile had exceeded the 150-kilometer limit set by U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Aziz denied that Iraq had broken its international obligations. "We are still within limits that are decided by the United Nations," he told reporters at Rome's Fiumicino airport.
"The main problem is that Iraqi missiles which are of a very short range don't have a guidance system and when a missile doesn't have a guidance system it goes five, 10, 15 kilometers beyond (target)," he said, according to Reuters. "That is not very dangerous and must not be exaggerated," he continued, adding: "There is no serious violation."
Earlier Thursday, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said that if Iraq had broken the missile limits it would be in breach of a U.N. resolution ordering it to disarm. "If these reports are correct...it is very serious," Blair said after talks with Australian premier John Howard.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin was quoted Thursday as saying Moscow could use its veto if needed in deliberations at the U.N. Security Council. "If it is necessary, we will use our veto, but I do not think it is helpful to get into debate about this at the moment," Putin told regional newspaper representatives, according to an interview published by Le Telegramme daily.
Putin also warned against any U.S. temptation to go it alone and attack Iraq without full U.N. backing. "Unilateral recourse to force would be unacceptable," he said.
The Russian leader made similar comments in an interview on French television earlier this week, saying he would use the veto to block any moves that would lead to the "unjustified use of force."
On Wednesday, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said talks were under way on the language of a new U.N. disarmament resolution on Iraq. "It still remains somewhat early in U.N. time but it won't be early in U.N. time for very long," Fleischer said. (Albawaba.com)
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