Procession of the
Russian Ambassador in Iraq was Attacked

Arabic News.com 7apr03

The Russian Presidency press office said that the procession of the Russian ambassador in Baghdad was exposed yesterday to an attack while heading from Baghdad towards the Syrian borders.

The office said that the Russian President Vladimir Putin was notified immediately about the incident and he gave his instructions for the Russian foreign ministry to take all measures to give aid to the wounded among the Russian diplomats who were within the process and were evacuated outside the Iraqi territories.

The office said that prompt measures were taken to help the Russian diplomats and to evacuate them without obstacles outside Iraq.

Immediately, the Russian foreign ministry summoned the American and Iraqi ambassador and called on them to ensure the security and safety of the Russian citizens and to punish the doers.

source: http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030407/2003040717.html 7apr03

Russia Warns of Grave Consequences of the War against Iraq

Arabic News.com 25mar03

The Russian foreign ministry has warned that the American military operations against Iraq are of grave consequences for the Middle East region and the world as a whole.

In a statement issued yesterday, Sergy Rosove stressed following his talks in Budapest yesterday the need of reaching an urgent political solution for the Iraqi question, stemmed from the principles of the UN charter and international law.

For his part the Russian deputy foreign minister Yuri Vitodov stressed that his country wants to debate the Iraqi issue once again at the UN Security Council and that the UN council will make the political and legal assessment of the situation.

source: http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030325/2003032509.html 7apr03

Powell and Rebuilding of Iraq Arabic News.com 7apr03

The US Secretary of State Colin Powell has announced that he supports the participation of France, Russia, Germany, and Syria in the process of rebuilding Iraq.

Powell added that excluding these countries from taking part in the process will create a division and will not be fruitful and he prefers that such a condition not exist.

He added that he will wait for what the US Senate will do when that draft law will be submitted to it after it will be adopted by the Congress, ruling out the participation of the said countries, noting that the US administration proceeds towards giving up this condition.

On the other hand, US National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said that he discussed with the UN secretary general Kofi Annan during their meeting the after-war phase, adding that Britain and the USA will play the main role in the first stages and nobody should be surprised by that.

She added that Iraq is not Eastern Timor, or Kosovo, or Afghanistan, but just a unique case of its kind, adding that first the "repressive" infrastructure of Saddam regime will be eliminated and work will be made with the Iraqis and Washington's partners in the war as well as the international community for rebuilding.

She continued that Iraq will be totally put under the supervision of the Iraqis as soon as possible, adding that the provisional administration will be at an Iraqi leadership until the Iraqi people will form a provisional government including all ethnic and religious groups of the Iraqis inside and outside the country.

She indicated that the US defense department will be the main American agency in the process of rebuilding Iraq.

source: http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030407/2003040719.html 7apr03

Gorbatshov's statement on Iraq Arabic

News.com 7apr03

Soviet Union Former President Michael Gorbatshov has stressed the necessity for the returning to the international law in solving the conflicts on the top the Arab-Israeli conflict.

In a statement to the Kuwaiti al-Raai al-Aam newspaper issued today, Gorbatshov affirmed that who defends his home doesn't consider a terrorist asserting that US military option against Iraq is a blow to the international law and to the United Nations.

Gorbatshov pointed out that what is happening in Iraq under the motto of "Liberating Iraq" is an illusion.

source: http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/030407/2003040721.html 7apr03