|
afrol News, 27 January - The South African government is joining its people in becoming a leading critic of US preparations for attacking Iraq if it is not proven that the country develops weapons of mass destruction. Hans Blix, Chairman of the UN weapon inspectors did not provide such proof in his report, presented today to the UN Security Council. South African President Thabo Mbeki has indicated his dissatisfaction over US and British plans of attacking Iraq without a UN Security Council resolution calling for this. Mr Mbeki rather has started a worldwide diplomatic effort to avert a war between the remaining superpower and Iraq. President Mbeki in particular is reported to address these South African concerns in a planned 1 February meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Chequers in Britain. According to a government statement released today, the meeting was to be held within "the context of worldwide efforts to avert a war with Iraq." The South African President can count on widespread local public support for his efforts. Civil society was also cooperating on the meeting with Mr Blair, the South African Department of Foreign Affairs reports. In this context, two civil society representatives were "already in Baghdad, having met with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Tariq Aziz, on Saturday," to help find "a peaceful resolution of the Iraqi situation within the multilateral global system of governance - UN," the Ministry says. The COSATU trade union, which is connected to South Africa's ruling ANC party, today warmly welcomed President Mbeki's increased international visibility on the Iraq issue. "COSATU would like to join and strengthen the call by President Thabo Mbeki, thousands of South Africans, and millions across the world against a new, US-led war on Iraq," said Vukani Mde, spokesperson of the union. The country's leading trade union today stated its increased discomfort over US "two-faced" foreign policies. The Bush administration had "gone out of its way to handle North Korea, which has revived its nuclear proliferation programme, with kid gloves," Mr Mde said. One had "rightly concluded that what drives Bush in Iraq are the oil interests of the large US corporations that bankroll his administration, and the bizarre family feud that began with tit-for-tat assassination attempts between Saddam Hussein and George Bush senior," he added. - Also disturbing is the fact that Israel, the US's number one client state, continues to secretly develop weapons of mass destruction with impunity, the COSATU spokesperson said. "Because of its decades-old oppression of the Palestinian people, Israel still remains the leading clear and present cause of instability in the Middle East," he added. The world should be concerned by "the threat from the Bush gang to jettison the entire UN system in pursuit of dangerous unilateral military action in the most volatile region of the world," he concluded. President Mbeki has been much less outspoken in his critiques, however. Writing in a weekly newsletter, the South African President commented: "The inevitable sharp increase in oil prices and other negative economic consequences [of a war against Iraq] would condemn the African continent to a deep economic crisis. It would put paid to all the high hopes raised by the New Partnership for Africa's Development (Nepad) initiative and the formation of the African Union. Instead, the peoples of Africa would have to confront the reality of even further impoverishment." - We have insisted that the Iraq question must be solved through the United Nations, says President Mbeki. "The UN exists because of a global commitment to regulate the power of the powerful, in the interests of international peace and justice," he added. The most pressing demand of the South African government is to give the UN weapon inspectors more time to finish their work. In this demand, South Africa today was supported by the European Union - including British Foreign Minister Jack Straw - and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Asked about giving the UN inspectors more time, Mr Annan said that today's briefing by Mr Blix would provide the Security Council with the facts to enable it to determine how to proceed next. "If they do need time, they should be given the time to do their work," he said. While a big majority of South Africans agree with the government's anti-war policies when it comes to Iraq, President Mbeki also has been accused of being two-faced in the matter. Tony Leon, leader of the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, today said that South Africa rather should be taking the lead on saving Zimbabwe from collapse than offering gratuitous advice to the world on the dangers of war in Iraq. "The President should remember that the consequences of a meltdown in Zimbabwe will be far worse for South Africa than a conflict in the Middle East," Mr Leon said.
|
