Iraqi Lawmakers Reject UN Plan

[nycmuzik]

BAGHDAD, Iraq (Nov. 12) - Iraq's parliament unanimously recommended rejection of a tough U.N. resolution on arms inspections Tuesday, but said the final decision would be left to Saddam Hussein.

The United Nations has asked Iraq to respond by Friday. Tuesday's vote by the rubber-stamp parliament could be seen as strengthening Saddam's hand if he wants to take a hard line.

The vote came hours after Saddam's son - whose voice carries weight in Iraq - recommended accepting the resolution, but with the condition that inspection teams have Arab members.

According to a parliamentary resolution read during the session, the 250-member parliament accepted Monday's recommendation by its foreign relations committee to reject the U.N. resolution.

It also said the ''political leadership'' should ''adopt what it considers appropriate to defend the Iraqi people and Iraq's independence and dignity and authorizes President Saddam Hussein to adopt what he sees as appropriate expressing our full support for his wise leadership.''

Parliament speaker Saadoun Hammadi asked deputies to vote on the first clause of the resolution by a show of hands and announced it had been accepted unanimously. It was not clear how many members were present.

Hammadi then called for a vote on the second clause referring the matter to Saddam, and again announced unanimous approval. A third vote was held for the entire proposal, and it also was approved unanimously.

Iraq has until Friday to accept or reject the resolution the U.N. Security Council approved unanimously last Friday. If it does not, or falters afterward in following the tough provisions of the resolution, the United States and Britain have made clear they will attack Iraq.

Saddam had asked lawmakers to convene an emergency session to advise the ruling Revolutionary Command Council he heads on how to respond to the United Nations. The debate began Monday night.

Tuesday's session of parliament was not broadcast live on Iraqi television, leaving Iraqis relying on international radio to follow the parliament session.

The U.N. resolution demands inspectors have unrestricted access to any suspected weapons site and the right to interview Iraqi scientists outside the country and without Iraqi officials present - issues that could become points of dispute.

Iraq has insisted on respect for its sovereignty, an argument it used in the past to restrict access to Saddam's palaces.

Saddam's son, Odai Saddam Hussein, distributed a letter to parliament as it reconvened Tuesday recommending the acceptance of the U.N. ruling with the condition that Arab members have a greater role. The letter was also distributed to reporters in Baghdad by the Information Ministry.

''We have to agree to the U.N. Security Council resolution with limits on certain points, but not, we say, conditions,'' the president's son said.

''There should be Arab experts or technicians and monitors (on the inspection teams) who are familiar with the nuclear, chemical and biological side,'' he said.

Odai Saddam Hussein said acceptance would not necessarily ward off war, and spoke of a call to have Arab countries cut oil supplies to countries that attack Iraq.

''We have to know our enemy and that the U.N. resolution does not mean stopping him from committing military action,'' he said.

''We also have to take precautions and measures and here we have to ask the Arab countries to immediately cut oil supplies to those countries that launch a military strike or aggression on Iraq and to any country that allows foreign war planes to use their airports or offer logistic support for them for refueling,'' his letter said.

Arab oil producers have ignored similar calls from Iraq in the past.

Arab League foreign ministers who met over the weekend in Egypt and urged Saddam to accept the resolution but also demanded that Arab arms experts be included on the U.N. teams.

The United States has portrayed similar calls in the past from Baghdad as unacceptable attempts to manipulate the United Nations. National security adviser Condoleezza Rice has warned Iraq to bow to the resolution without wasting ''the world's time with another game of cat and mouse.''

Odai Saddam Hussein, who won 99.99 percent of the vote in his constituency in the last parliamentary elections in 2000, has a high profile, running an influential newspaper and a television station.

Flamboyant and said to have a violent temper, he was considered the main candidate to succeed his father as leader of Iraq until he was badly injured in a 1996 assassination attempt.

His younger and lower key brother, Qusai, is now believed to hold a stronger position and has several important posts, including head of the Republican Guards, the country's best-trained and equipped troops.

In Washington, Condoleezza Rice, rejected the legitimacy of parliament's debate on the resolution.

''One has to be a bit skeptical of the independence of the Iraqi parliament from Saddam Hussein,'' she said Monday. ''I don't think anyone believes this is anything but an absolute dictatorship and this decision is up to Saddam Hussein.''

She also said Iraq has no right to accept or reject the resolution. ''They are obligated to accept, but the U.N. thought it best to ask for return-receipt requested,'' Rice said.

Iraq maintains it no longer has any weapons of mass destruction, and lawmaker Ismail Nasif Jassim called the 30-day period for Iraq to provide documents on its weapons programs ''illogical and a way to provoke Iraq.''

AP-NY-11-12-02 0630EST

[mrmatas2277]

its on now!!!!

[dnice35]

break out the amo

[siceone]

Let's remember that the Iraqi parliment has no pull what so ever..

and Let's remember that Saddam hussien Kills anyone who opposes him and then kills thier family..

This means nothing it's pure politics

[underwater]

its been said that they deferred it to saddam so he can accept or reject it and show the people that he is their supreme leader and that his power is still intact.....he is basically orchestrating the entire thing...here is the thing though...

1) if he accepts and bows to the worlds demands he will be ousted internally by his own people for not being the almighty powerful rimjob that his people think he is

2) if he rejects the resolution we will forcefully remove him from office

either way it is speculated that there will be regime change....hopefully the iraqies will handle this themselves and not cost american lives....

worst case scenario....

weapons inspectors are allowed into iraq but find nothing....if this is the case we are screwed b/c we will have no basis for starting a war...

[mrmatas2277]

Originally posted by underwater

1) if he accepts and bows to the worlds demands he will be ousted internally by his own people for not being the almighty powerful rimjob that his people think he is

worst case scenario....

weapons inspectors are allowed into iraq but find nothing....if this is the case we are screwed b/c we will have no basis for starting a war...

i agree with u on some points...but i doubt that anyone from his regime will oust him...only loyal followers of Sadam are his top ranking officials...they dont have the "pelotas" (balls) to oust him....and i HIGHLY DOUBT that we will NOT find weapons in that man's possesion....