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Foreign minister reaffirms support for US' Iraqi policy

With a war against Iraq looming, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) yesterday reaffirmed the nation's support for any US decision to disarm Iraq as the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) sought to win international support for a possible war to disarm Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

"We support war on terrorism and UN Resolution No 1441 which demands Iraq dismantle all weapons of mass destruction. It is our hope that Iraq will destroy all weapons of mass destruction, but if a war becomes inevitable, the ROC will support action taken by the US to disarm Iraq," Chien said while fielding questions at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan's Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs.

Chien said he is convinced that only when weapons of mass destruction in Iraq are destroyed can world security and peace be safeguarded.

He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has listed Iraq as an "extremely dangerous" area unsuitable for local citizens to visit for the time being.

"Israel and Palestine also fall into the same high-warning category while Kuwait, Yemen and southeastern Turkey are listed as `dangerous,' meaning locals are encouraged to postpone their travel plans [to those countries]," Chien said.

He added that the ministry has repeatedly advised citizens not to travel to all those regions.

Meanwhile, the Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Committee yesterday passed a resolution reaffirming the nation's support for the US-led war on terrorism and its action to disarm Iraq.

In an AIT press release, director Douglas Paal tried to sell the Bush administration's arguments for a war by accusing the Iraqi regime of unwillingness to disarm.

Paal said over the past 12 years, Saddam has not made the necessary strategic political decisions to comply with UN Security Council resolutions to disarm, and nothing indicates that the Iraqi regime has decided to cooperate with UN inspectors.
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