Thursday, November 14, 2002

(AP) -- The following is the text of a letter from Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Naji Sabri to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, as provided in English by the United Nations:

Your Excellency,

You may recall the huge clamor fabricated by the President of the United States administration, in the biggest and most wicked slander against Iraq, supported in malicious intent, and spearheaded in word and malevolence, by his lackey Tony Blair, when they disseminated the claim that Iraq has perhaps produced, or was on its way to produce, nuclear weapons, during the time when the United Nations inspectors had been absent from Iraq since 1998. Then they returned to stress that Iraq had in fact produced chemical and biological weapons. They both know, as well as we do, and so can other countries, that such fabrications are baseless. But, does the knowledge of the truth constitute elements for interaction in the politics of our day, which has witnessed the unleashing of the American administration's evil to its fullest extent, dashing away all hope in any good? Indeed, is there any good to be hoped for, or expected, from the American administrations, now that they have been transformed by their own greed, by Zionism as well as by other known factors, into the tyrant of the age.

Let's go back to say that Iraq, having seen this fabrication work perhaps with some countries and among public opinion, while others maintained silence, confronted them with its agreement to the return of the U.N. inspectors, having agreed on this first with you as U.N. chief, in New York on 16 September, 2002, and later in a press statement issued jointly in Vienna following a meeting on 30th September - 1st October between an Iraqi technical delegation headed by Dr. Amer Al-Sa'di, Chief Inspector Hans Blix and Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). But after Iraq's acceptance of the return of the U.N. inspectors had become an established fact, including the agreement of 19 October, 2002, on the date of their return, and only a few hours (after) this agreement was reached, Colin Powell, the U.S. Secretary of State, declared that he would refuse to accept the inspectors' return to Iraq. In the meantime, the gang of evil returned to talking about adopting a new resolution, or new resolutions, in order to create something for the world to talk about, other than following the work of the inspectors and then seeing the fact already stated by Iraq, which was that Iraq neither had produced nor was in possession of any weapons of mass destruction, nuclear, chemical or biological, throughout the time of the inspectors' absence from Iraq. However, representatives at the United Nations and its agencies, especially those from permanent member states, instead of fellowship up on this and, hence, expose those responsible for the dissemination of lies and fabrications, were busy discussing the type and wording of the new resolution. They were indulged in what word or letter to add here or omit there, until they adopted a text under the pretext that it would be better to take kicks of a raging bull in a small circle than to face its horns in an open space. The text was adopted under the American Administration's pressure and threat that it would leave the U.N., if it did not agree to what America wanted, which is, to say the least, extremely evil and shameful to every honest member of the United Nations who recalls the provisions of its Charter, and sees that some people feel ashamed on behalf of those who are shameless.

Mr. Secretary-General,

We have said to the members of the Security Council whom we have contacted, or who have contacted us, when they told us about the pretexts of the Americans and their threat to perpetrate aggression against our country, whether unilaterally or with participated from others, if the Council were not to allow them to have their way, that we preferred, if it ever became necessary to see America carry out its aggressions against us unilaterally, when we would have to confront it relying on Allah, instead of seeing the American government obtaining an international cover with which to camouflage its falsehood, partially or completely, bringing it closer to the truth, so that it may stab the truth with the dagger of evil and confronted the United States before when it looked as it does now, and this was one of the factors of its isolation in the human environment on the globe at large.

The aggression of the United States of America and its single-handed infliction of injustice and destruction on those subjected to its inequity, in the forefront of whom are the Muslims and Arab believers, is the basic reason why America has withdrawn its ambassadors and other staff, close its embassies, and restrict its interests in many parts of the world, while reaping the hatred of the peoples of the world due to its policies and aggressive objectives. This is a situation which no other country in the world has experienced before, including the fathers of old colonialism. The Security Council, however, or indeed those who can basically play an influential role in it, have, instead of leaving the American administration and its lackey reap the result of their evil, saved wrongdoing rather than halted it. We shall see when remorse will not do any good for those who bite on their fingers.

Mr. Secretary-General,

The strength of influence of any international organization rests on the belief of the human environment in which the organization exists and which places its trust in it, once the organization declares that it has been founded to achieve goals important to mankind. We fear that the United Nations Organization may lose the trust and attachment of peoples, that is if it has not fallen to that place already. This is due to the exploitation of the organization by powerful interests, whenever their greedy ambitions converge at the expense of the interests of other peoples. It may also be due to the expediency and compromise among those interests in falsehood at the expense of the truth. So the United Nations Organization and its agencies will collapse in the same way as did its predecessor, the League of Nations. Then, the responsibility for this will not rest with the American administrations alone, but will also be due to the weakness of the timid who allow themselves to work for American interests, under the threat, lure or promises of the American administration.

He who remains silent in the defense of truth is a dumb devil. Nothing seems more reprehensible than the silence maintained by those who represented their nations in the Security Council, as they discussed the American draft resolution, in the face of the question raised by the representative of Mexico regarding the possibility of lifting the blockade imposed on Iraq. The Mexican representative said, during consultations at the Security Council over SCR 1441 on 8 November, 2002, that he did not find convincing the explanations presented by the American Permanent Representative, regarding the absence of any reference to the lifting of sanctions and the establishment in the Middle East region of a zone free of weapons of mass destruction, and that he would convey this to his government in order to receive instructions. The British representative responded by saying that he has listened to the statements made by the delegations of Syria and Mexico regarding the inclusion in the draft text of a paragraph on the lifting of sanctions. He went on to say that Iraq has been provided with the opportunity to dispose of its weapons of mass destruction, but Iraq had ignored that opportunity and decided to keep possession of those WMDs. Hence, he added, it would be inappropriate to include a reference to the lifting of sanctions as long as Iraq remained in possession of those weapons, even though an indirect reference to that effect was being accommodated.

We ask here, why is it that none of the representatives of SC member states asked their British counterpart when, where and how such an alleged decision was taken by Iraq to keep possession of the weapons of mass destruction. They treated the claim made by the British representative as if it were of no significance to them; or rather, as if it were of no concern to them to say the truth. Does not this instance, along with other things and the decline of this type of international organizations point to the possibility of the collapse of this international organization, which was founded in order to preserve world peace and security, but has now been transformed into a kitchen-house for big-power bargaining, providing cover for war, destruction, blockades and starvation to be inflicted upon peoples.

The future will be determined in the light of the possibility for reform, or the inability to achieve reform. The future of the United Nations is no exception to this. Hence, all those who are truly concerned about the well-being of this organization, in deeds not only in words, and about its work on the basis of the U.N. Charter, so that stability, justice and fairness will prevail in the world, providing a roadmap for peace, freedom and cooperation to flourish amongst peoples, are called upon to be careful and to adhere to the U.N. Charter and international law, and not to the whims and incontrollable instincts of those who threaten the world with their evil schemes, weaponry and those who seek to achieve their interests narrow-mindedly by resorting to bargaining at the expense of truth, justice and fairness.

Mr. Secretary General,

We know that those who pressed the Security Council to adopt resolution No. 1441 have other objectives than making sure that Iraq had not developed mass destruction weapons in the absence of the inspectors since 1998. You are aware of how and who stood behind their absence. We also know that there are no true, just or fair reasons behind the adoption of this resolution in the name of the Security Council, after the well-known understanding agreement between the representatives of Iraq and the U.N. Secretary-General and the press statement issued jointly by Blix, ElBaradei, and the Iraqi representatives. We hereby inform you that we will deal with resolution 1441, despite its bad contents, if it is to be implemented according to the premeditated evil of the parties of ill-intent, the important thing in this is trying to spare our people from harm. But we will not forget, nor should others do, that safeguarding our people's dignity, security, independence, and protecting our country, its sovereignty and sublime values, is as a sacred duty in our leadership's and government's agenda. Therefore, and as we said in the foresaid agreement and press statement, we are prepared to receive the inspectors, so that they can carry out their duties, and make sure that Iraq has not developed weapons of mass destruction, during their absence since 1998.

We hereby ask you to inform the Security Council that we are prepared to receive the inspectors within the assigned timetable. The parties concerned should bear in mind that we are in our holy month of Ramadan which means that the people are fasting, and this holy month will be followed by the Muslims' Eid. Nevertheless, we will cooperate with the concerned U.N. bodies and officials on the background of all this, and of the tripartite, French-Russia-China, statement. Dealing with the inspectors, the government of Iraq will also take into consideration their way of conduct, the intentions of those who are ill-intentioned amongst them and their improper approach in showing respect to the people's national dignity, their independence and security, and their country's security, independence and sovereignty. We are eager to see them perform their duties in accordance with the international law as soon as possible. If they do so, professionally and lawfully, without any premeditated intentions, the liars' lies will be exposed to public opinion, and the declared objective of the Security Council will be achieved. It will then become the lawful duty of the Security Council to lift the blockade and all the other unjust sanctions on Iraq. If it does not, all the peoples of good will in the world, in addition to Iraq, will tell it to do so. The SC will be compelled before the public opinion and the law to activate paragraph 14 of its resolution No. 687, by applying it to the Zionist entity (Israel), and then, to all the Middle East region, to make it a region void of mass destruction weapons. The number of just people will, then, increase in the world, and Iraq's possibility to drive away the cawing of the crows of evil that daily raid its land, and kill Iraqis and destroy their property by their bombs. This will help the stability of the region and the world, if it is accompanied by a resolution that will not be based on double standards, to put an end to the Zionist occupation of Palestine, and other occupied Arab territories, and if the warmongers strop their aggressions on the Muslims and the world.

Therefore, through you, we reiterate the same words to the Security Council: Send your inspectors to Iraq to make sure of this, and everyone will be sure, if their way of conduct is supervised so that it becomes legal and professional, that Iraq has not developed weapons of mass destruction, whether nuclear, chemical or biological, as claimed by evil people. The lies and manipulations of the American administration and British government will be exposed, while the world will see how truthful and adequate the Iraqis are in what they say and do. But if the whims of the American administration, the Zionist desires, their followers, intelligence services, threats and foul temptation were given the chance to play and tamper with the inspection teams or some of their members, the colors would be then confused and the resulting commotion will distort the facts and push the situation into dangerous directions which is something fair-minded people do not wish for, as well as the people who, including my government, want to bring forward the facts as they are. The fieldwork and implementation will be the decisive factors that will reveal whether the intentions were really for the Security Council to make sure that Iraq is void of those alleged weapons, or whether the whole thing was nothing but an evil cover by those who were behind the resolution who have no scruples to utter debased slander and to tell lies to the public opinion including their own peoples.

So let the inspectors come to Baghdad to carry out their duties in accordance with the law, and then we will hear and see along with who wants to hear, see and move according to each one's responsibility and rights. The final word and reference will still be resolution No. 687 with its obligations on both the secretary-general and Iraq, along with the code of conduct agreed upon in the agreement signed by the secretary-general in New York on 16th September, 2002, and the press statement of Hans Blix and ElBaradei in Vienna in 30 September - 1 October 2002.

Mr. Secretary-General,

Please assume your responsibilities, by saying and advising the unfair people that their unfairness to Muslims, faithful Arabs and to all, will be of dire consequences and that God, the Almighty is capable of doing everything. Tell them that the proud Iraqi people are faithful and Mujahid and who had fought the old colonialism, imperialism and aggression, including the tyrant's aggression for years and years. The price this courageous people paid to safeguard their independence, dignity, sublime principles was rivers of blood, with a lot of deprivation and loss of their riches, along with their eternal achievements and record which they are proud. Therefore, we hope that you will, Mr. Secretary-General, advise the ignorants not to push things to the precipice, in the implementation, because the people of Iraq will not choose to live at the price of their dignity, country, freedom or sanctities, and they would rather make their lives the price if that was the only way before them to safeguard what they must safeguard.

I wish to inform your Excellency before I conclude this letter, that I intend to forward another letter to you on a later date, in which I shall state our observations (on) the measures and procedures, contained in SCR 1441 that are contrary to international law, U.N. Charter, the facts already established and the measure contained in previous relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

"Do ye secure He Who is in Heaven will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth when it shakes." (Allah's is the Word of Truth)

Allah is the Greatest

Naji Sabri Ahmed

Minister of Foreign Affairs

Republic of Iraq