A-Infos (en) Iraq crisis could lead to world war, says Yeltsin (Reuters) FWD

[Tom Boland <wgcp@earthlink.net>]

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      FWD   2-4-98

      MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Boris Yeltsin said on
      Wednesday U.S. President Bill Clinton's actions in the Iraq
      crisis could lead to world war.

      "With his actions in Iraq he can lead to a world war," the
      Kremlin quoted Yeltsin as saying of Clinton.

      The Kremlin press service said Yeltsin made the remarks to
      Russian reporters during a meeting with First Deputy Prime
      Minister Anatoly Chubais...

      Interfax news agency first reported Yeltsin's comments and the
      Kremlin later confirmed them.

      "He is acting too noisily there," Yeltsin was quoted as saying.
      "One must be more careful and not threaten with such weapons
      and fight with planes and bombs."

      Yeltsin's startling remarks were the strongest yet against U.S.
      threats to use military action to force Iraq to comply with
      United Nations resolutions and allow U.N. inspectors freely to
      check for weapons of mass destruction across the country.

      Yeltsin said Clinton was acting uncharacteristically in
      threatening military action.

      "We want to make it clear to Clinton that we do not agree with
      such a policy. And the members of the United Nations Security
      Council will be against it," he said.

      Clinton and Yeltsin spoke by telephone on Monday, but few
      details of their talks have been released.

      Russia has undertaken a much-publicized mission to mediate in
      the Iraq crisis, and has urged the world community to find a
      diplomatic solution.  Moscow helped broker a deal during a
      similar previous stand-off between Baghdad and the United
      Nations.

      Yeltsin, who has kept a low profile so far this year, has not
      publicly spoken about Iraq in recent days, leaving his spokesman
      and the Foreign Ministry to explain Russia's position.

      It was not clear to what extent his remarks were aimed at a
      domestic audience or were intended to bolster his envoy, Viktor
      Posuvalyuk, now in Baghdad seeking to win concessions from the
      Iraqis to calm the crisis.

      Russia's lower house of parliament has strongly criticized U.S.
      threats toward Iraq and was scheduled to vote later on
      Wednesday on a measure urging Yeltsin to end sanctions against
      Iraq unilaterally if the United States strikes militarily.

      Russia views Iraq, a close partner in Soviet times, as a future
      potential ally ready to engage in trade once U.N. sanctions are
      lifted.

      Baghdad owes Moscow an estimated $7 billion or more and
      several Russian companies have already penned oil deals to
      begin once sanctions end.

      END FORWARD

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