The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current, November 12, 1998, Page 2, Image 2
i EMBER 12, 1998 Tensions on ian IRAQ from page 1 ed private U.S. citizens in Kuwait should leave. The United Nations withdrew sev eral hundred weapons inspectors and other U.N. staff from Baghdad in light of the possibility of American airstrikes. The U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting as Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to Saddam to immediately resume cooperation with inspectors. Annan said he was “saddened and bur dened” by Iraq’s defiance. The Security Council passed a res olution this week condemning Iraqis noncooperation, but it did not include an explicit go-ahead for military action. The Clinton administration contends that earlier resolutions concerning Iraq give it the right to use force, although some U.N. members dispute that The timing of any possible U.S. action was unclear. Clinton, in his speech, issued no explicit threat to attack Iraq but made clear he believed that failure to enforce the U.N.’s demands for arms inspec tions would be a costly mistake. “If the inspectors are not permitted to visit suspect sites or monitor compli ance at known production facilities, they may as well be in Baltimore, not Baghdad,” Clinton said. “That would open a window of opportunity for Iraq to rebuild it$ arsenal of weapons and delivery systems in months -1 say again, in months - not years.” Attitudes toward Baghdad appeared to be hardening elsewhere. Foreign ministers from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland jointly condemned Iraq’s refusal to cooperate with U.N. inspec tors, according to a statement issued Wednesday in Oslo, Norway. In Moscow, Vladimir Zhirinovsky’s ultranationalist party failed today to win approval for a parliamentary motion calling for sanctions against Iraq to be lifted However, Prakash Shah, die U.N. envoy to Irag, said Iraq’s Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz told him Wednesday that Iraqi officials would not change their position. “They will nqt be able to desist from their position unless die Security Council takes some action in regard to die sanctions on Iraq,” Shah said, sum marizing Aziz’s views. A leading Arabic newspaper quoted diplomats today as saying the United States and Britain have planned a three-phase strike against Iraq that could involve the deployment of troops in die country. The United States and Britain maintain there is Middle East backing for a military strike, but Arab officials have offered no public support Jordan’s Prime Minister Fayez Tarawneh met Wednesday with Saudi Arabia’s Kind Fahd and Crown Prince Abdullah and said later die two coun tries “are in agreement that the crisis... should be solved diplomatically.” “It appears that attempts to defuse the crisis could be late.” ■ '"3 '51 Israeli Cabinet narrowly passes peace agreement ■ Ratification of the accord will lead to a troop withdrawal from the West Bank by early next yean JERUSALEM (AP) - The Israeli Cabinet narrowly ratified the peace agreement with the Palestinians Wednesday after a two-week delay and some U.S. prodding, setting the stage for a troop withdrawal from 13 percent of the West Bank by the end of January. The accord was approved by eight of the 17 ministers after a seven-hour oeoaie. rive mimsiers-aostamea ana four^etfcf'against in what appeared to be a political blow for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had expect ed broader support Over the past two weeks, with Netanyahu postponing Cabinet debate four times, the United States urged Israel to try to stick to the original timetable of the land-for-security agreement Saying that it was difficult to “part with even one square centimeter” of the land, Netanyahu attached four stip ulations to the agreement that could cause new disruptions. Under one o£the conditions, Netanyahu said he would bring each stage of the phased pullback over the next three months to the Cabinet for separate approval. Ministers will be asked to determine whether the Palestinians have met their security obligations under die accord, he said. Netanyahu also demanded that the Palestine National Council hold a for mal vote by mid-December to revoke clauses in the PLO founding charter that call for Israelis destruction. The third stipulation said Israel reserved the right to annex areas of the West Bank if Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat went ahead with plans to unilat erally declare a Palestinian state in May, at the end of the five-year auton omy period. In a fourth clause, Netanyahu said that in an additional pullback to which Israel committed itself last year, the Palestinians would receive no more than 1 percent of the West Bank. ucspiic me new vunuiuuus, Netanyahu pledged to go ahead with implementing the agreement. Israel already has fallen behind in ,the 12 week tithe table negotiated at last months Mideast summit . Netanyahu said he would permit the opening of the Palestinian airport next week and also would begin releas ing Palestinian security prisoners at that time. In aU, 750 Palestinians held by Israel for security offenses are to be freed by January. Another key Israeli commitment to withdraw from 2 percent of the West Bank by Monday, likely will not be car ried oth on time, said Netanyahu advis er David Bar-Illan. The troop redeploy ment cannot take place until parlia ment has approved the deal Tuesday and will likely be carried out a week late. ~ Palestinian negotiator Hassan Asfour said he believed Netanyahu attached new conditions to please Israeli hardliners. “We appreciate the Cabinet approval,*but we will close our ears and eyes to the conditions, because they are for them and not for us,” Asfour told The Associated Press. Editor: Erin Gibson Managing Editor: Chad Lorenz Associate News Editor: Bryce Glenn Associate News Editor: Brad Davis ‘IKEISS; Sports Editor: SamMcKewoo A&E Editor: Bret Schulte Copy Desk Chief: Diane Broderick Photo Chief: Matt Miller Design Chief: Nancy Christensen Art Director: Matt Haney Online Editor: Gregg Steams Diversions Editor: Jeff Randall Questions? Comments? ask tot ms approonaxe sscnon savior« (402) 472-2588 or frflH dn® 4inl.edu. General Manager: DanShattil Publications Board Jessica Hofmann, Chairwoman: (402)466-8404 Professional Adviser: Don Walton, (402)473-7248 Advertising Manager: Nick Putsch, (402)472-2589 Asst Ad Manager: Andrea Oeltjen [lawWeld Ad Manager: Mami Speck h Fax number (402) 472-1761 WbfW Wide VWb: www.unl.edu/DailyNeb The Daily Nebraskan (USPS144-080) is published by the UNL Publications Board, Nebraska p Union 34,1400 ft St.Lincotn, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Friday duming the academic year; weekly during the summer sessions.The public has access to the Publications Board. Readers are encouraged to submit story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by caling | (402)472-2588. SiAscriptions are $55 for one year. Postmaster Send address changes to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R St, Lincoln NE 685ffiM)448. Periodica) postage paid at Lincoln, NE. ALL MATERIAL COPYRIGHT 1998 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN