Iraq to appoint new U.N. Ambassador

Mohammed al-Duri is slated to soon replace Sa'eed Hasan al-Musawi as Iraq's new U.N. ambassador. Al-Duri is a lawyer, related to General Sabir al-Duri, former head of Iraq's Mukhabarat and of Military intelligence. Al-Duri, a legal adviser in the Foreign Ministry, became head of Iraq's U.N. mission in Geneva, after Saddam's son-in-law, Barzan al-Tikriti, was called back to Baghdad last year, having spent more than a decade at the comfortable Swiss post. An Iraqi National Congress source told MEIB that al-Duri's appointment is definitely an upgrading of Iraq's diplomatic representation in New York. Al-Musawi, a Shi'ite, served in New York for eight years, primarily as deputy to Nizar Hamdoon. The source suggests that the new appointment may indicate that Saddam intends to undertake some major negotiations in New York.

Jordanian Prime Minister makes "Historic Visit" to Baghdad
2 November 2000

Al-Dustur (Amman) reports on the "historic visit" to Baghdad of Jordanian Prime Minister Abu al-Raghib, the first Arab head of state to visit Iraq since the 1990-91 Gulf Crisis. Moreover, al-Raghib flew into Baghdad, violating what remains of the post-Gulf War ban on air traffic. Indeed, the first Arab aircraft to land in Baghdad since the Gulf war was a Jordanian plane that flew into Baghdad on September 27. Al-Raghib hailed his three-day visit as "highly successful," although it is not clear what it accomplished, other than to demonstrate Amman's solidarity with Baghdad, a cause popular with Palestinians living in Jordan and with Jordan's Islamic opposition.

Iraq Accused of Encouraging Terrorism by Sheltering Hijackers
7 November 2000

Al-Nadwah (Saudi Arabia) charges Iraq with supporting terrorism after Baghdad granted political asylum to two Saudi citizens who hijacked a Saudi airliner and rejected an official Saudi request for their extradition. The hijacking of the London-bound plane shortly after it left Jeddah occurred on October 14. After first indicating that they wanted to go to Damascus, the hijackers directed the pilot to Baghdad. Once the plane landed, the hijacking was resolved within a few hours. The passengers were released and the hijackers gave a press conference, denouncing the Saudi government for its human rights violations. An Iraqi opposition source told MEIB that there is "no doubt" that the entire event was coordinated with Iraqi authorities before hand.

Syrian Committee established to help lift Iraq Sanctions
8 November 2000

Al-Zaman (London-based Iraqi opposition paper) reports the establishment of the "Arab-Syrian Committee for Lifting the Embargo against Iraq." Based in Damascus, the Arab nationalist organization has the open support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The committee represents just one more element of the ongoing Baghdad-Damascus rapprochement, which includes the provision of Iraqi oil to Syria on concessionary terms. Iraq's oil pipeline to Syria, in disuse since 1982, has been repaired. Although reports conflict as to whether Baghdad has actually begun pumping oil, it could do so at any moment. Iraqi opposition sources say that Baghdad and Damascus struck a deal whereby Iraq is to supply $1 billion of oil a year to Syria and, in return, Syria will pay Iraq $400 million outside of its U.N. account, while export to Iraq $600 million worth of goods.

Egypt Upgrades Diplomatic Ties with Iraq
9 November 2000

Al-Sharq al-Awsat (London) reports on the upgrading of Egypt's relations with Iraq. The day before, flags were raised over the embassies of the two countries. Previously, Egypt maintained only an interest section in Baghdad, which operated under Indian auspices. Henceforth, each country will operate under its own flag. But the move does not represent a full restoration of relations, as neither country will be represented by an ambassador. Iraq has long sought a normalization of diplomatic ties with Egypt, severed after its August 2, 1990, invasion of Kuwait. The upgrading of Egypt's representation in Baghdad would appear to be a partial response to repeated Iraqi requests. But Cairo treads a careful line. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak does not trust Saddam Hussein, who deceived him on the eve of the invasion of Kuwait, when Saddam assured him that Iraq would not attack the Gulf shaykhdom, and then afterwards sought to bribe the Egyptian president, in what proved to be a failed effort to induce the most populous Arab state not to take a stance against Iraq.

Iraqi Involvement in Attack on Cole
10 November 2000

The Paris-based weekly Al-Watan al-Arabi, considered friendly to Saudi Arabia, reports that Iraq was involved in the attack on the October 12 attack on the U.S.S. Cole. Iraqi intelligence reportedly received the explosive used in the attack from Russia, and the Iraqis transported the material to Yemen, in collusion with senior officials of the Yemeni regime. The report repeats some of the same charges made two weeks before in the same magazine, which explained that it was such a massive operation and was so carefully planned, that it was virtually impossible for a terrorist group to have carried out the attack without state support. Arab sources tell MEIB that the Saudi leadership is thoroughly convinced that Iraq was behind the attack and that they are exasperated by the U.S. insistence on blaming it solely on Osama bin Ladin.

Iraq Disappointed in Ties with Iran
15 November 2000

Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports that Baghdad is disappointed at the slow pace of its attempt to normalize relations with Tehran. In late September, Iranian president Mohammad Khatami met with Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan on the sidelines of the OPEC summit in Caracas. Subsequently, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi made a rare visit to Baghdad, when it was announced that the two countries had reached agreement on procedures to resolve a number of outstanding issues. But Khatami's November 14 meeting with Iraqi Vice-President Izzet Ibrahim al-Duri, on the sidelines of the summit of the Islamic Conference Organization, made clear that Tehran was not interested in any dramatic or rapid improvement in ties with Baghdad. The Iranians do not trust Saddam and both sides continue to support each other's opposition groups.

Iraqi Talks in Moscow "Difficult"
30 November 2000

The Russian news agency Itar-Tass reports that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz held "difficult" talks in Moscow, where he met with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. The two sides strongly differed, as Ivanov sought to persuade the Iraqi envoy to accept some form of U.N. weapons monitoring. Aziz flatly turned him down, asserting that disarmament had to be applied to Israel as well. A scheduled news conference was canceled and Aziz returned to Baghdad after offering only a few short remarks to reporters. Ivanov had visited Baghdad just two weeks before and met with Saddam Hussein. Yet Ivanov failed to understand the firmness of Baghdad's oft-stated position. Iraq's intransigence, as displayed in Aziz' visit, dealt a blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's aspiration to employ what the Russians hoped would be a demonstration of their influence over Baghdad to establish some standing for Russia in the Persian Gulf region.