US President George W. Bush said yesterday that Saddam Hussein is "not going to fool anybody" with his promise to admit weapons inspectors and predicted the UN would rally behind his Iraq policy despite signs of unease.
In an Oval Office meeting with congressional leaders, Bush thanked Democrats and Republicans alike for their commitment to vote on a congressional resolution on Iraq before the November elections.
"I think it's an important signal for the world to see that this country is united in its resolve," the president said.
As some US allies, particularly France and Russia, said the promise of inspections might replace the need for a new UN resolution sought by Bush, the president said, "All they've got to do is look at his record. His latest ploy, his latest attempt not to be held accountable for defying the United Nations. He's not going to fool anybody."
"I'm convinced that when we continue to make the case about his defiance, his deception, the fact that time and time again -- dozens of times -- he has told the world, `Oh, I will comply' and he never does, that nations who care about peace and care about the validity of the United Nations, will join us," Bush said.
It was the second straight day that Bush has prodded the UN to move against Saddam, reflecting concerns of senior advisers that Iraq has gained the upper hand in the public relations battle.
"Reasonable people understand this man is unreasonable," Bush said.
A day after Iraq's surprise decision to allow the inspectors back in after nearly four years, the near-global support for the Security Council to get tough on Iraq shattered Tuesday with Russia and Arab nations now opposing the US demand for action.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov clashed at a news conference over the need for a new Security Council resolution that would set a deadline for the return of inspectors and threaten consequences if Iraq doesn't cooperate.
The exchange between the two veto-wielding council members set the stage for difficult negotiations if the US introduces a tough anti-Iraq resolution, as expected.
"We have seen this game before," Powell said of the Iraqi offer of inspections. He called for a new resolution to keep the pressure on Iraq "to make sure that we satisfy the need for disarmament."
But Ivanov, whose country is Iraq's closest ally on the Security Council, said there was no need for a new resolution.
"Russia believes that the main job now is to see to it that the inspectors -- without any artificial delays or obstacles -- should go to Iraq and get down to discharging their functions," he said.
In Washington yesterday, Democratic leaders sounded a note of bipartisanship as they emerged from their meeting with Bush.
House Speaker Dick Gephardt said that a stern resolution was needed to give Bush the authority to deal with Saddam diplomatically and "military, if we must."
Senate Majority Leader Thomas Daschle, also a Democrat, said, "I think this is an important moment for our country and for the international community to work together."
The UN body that would travel to Iraq is the United Nations Monitoring, Inspection and Verification Commission, led by Hans Blix, a veteran arms expert. Blix met Tuesday evening with Iraqi officials, who said the two sides agreed to meet again in Vienna in 10 days to finish arrangements for the inspectors' return.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said the inspection team "is ready to move as quickly as is practicable" to begin work in Iraq. He also said the Security Council is at the beginning of the process, not the end.
As US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld prepared to testify yesterday on Iraq before a House panel, the Pentagon said it was seeking to move some B-2 bombers closer to Baghdad. Officials said Tuesday the administration is seeking permission from Britain to base a small number of B-2 stealth bombers on the island of Diego Garcia in the northern Indian Ocean, instead of their current base in Missouri.
People can preregister to receive their NT$10,000 (US$325) cash distributed from the central government on Nov. 5 after President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday signed the Special Budget for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience, the Executive Yuan told a news conference last night. The special budget, passed by the Legislative Yuan on Friday last week with a cash handout budget of NT$236 billion, was officially submitted to the Executive Yuan and the Presidential Office yesterday afternoon. People can register through the official Web site at https://10000.gov.tw to have the funds deposited into their bank accounts, withdraw the funds at automated teller
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
CONCESSION: A Shin Kong official said that the firm was ‘willing to contribute’ to the nation, as the move would enable Nvidia Crop to build its headquarters in Taiwan Shin Kong Life Insurance Co (新光人壽) yesterday said it would relinquish land-use rights, or known as surface rights, for two plots in Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), paving the way for Nvidia Corp to expand its office footprint in Taiwan. The insurer said it made the decision “in the interest of the nation’s greater good” and would not seek compensation from taxpayers for potential future losses, calling the move a gesture to resolve a months-long impasse among the insurer, the Taipei City Government and the US chip giant. “The decision was made on the condition that the Taipei City Government reimburses the related
FRESH LOOK: A committee would gather expert and public input on the themes and visual motifs that would appear on the notes, the central bank governor said The central bank has launched a comprehensive redesign of New Taiwan dollar banknotes to enhance anti-counterfeiting measures, improve accessibility and align the bills with global sustainability standards, Governor Yang Chin-long (楊金龍) told a meeting of the legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday. The overhaul would affect all five denominations — NT$100, NT$200, NT$500, NT$1,000 and NT$2,000 notes — but not coins, Yang said. It would be the first major update to the banknotes in 24 years, as the current series, introduced in 2001, has remained in circulation amid rapid advances in printing technology and security standards. “Updating the notes is essential to safeguard the integrity
RSS