IRAQ: DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE UN/IRAQ CRISIS CONTINUE UPDATE скачать в хорошем качестве

IRAQ: DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS TO RESOLVE UN/IRAQ CRISIS CONTINUE UPDATE

(4 Feb 1998) Arabic/Nat The Egyptian Foreign Minister announced on Wednesday that Iraq may open eight sites to inspections by U-N representatives. The international weapons inspectors have demanded unrestricted access to all sites in Iraq and the United States has said it will launch air strikes to force Iraq to comply. The report has not yet been officially confirmed in Baghdad. Whilst international diplomatic efforts continue to try to resolve the row between Iraq and the U-N - the negotiations continue on the ground. A United Nations Technical Evaluation team is discussing the results of the weapons inspections with an Iraqi committee. Two forums are in progress, one on Iraq's ballistic warheads and the other assessing the extent of Iraq's disarmament in the field of the lethal chemical nerve agent V-X. The meetings are the first such forums since the 1991 Gulf War. The Iraqis say they have complied with all the necessary U-N Resolutions - but the weapons inspectors say they still need to do more work. The Technical Team is supposed to resolve the argument - but it has yet to make an announcement. In the meantime - weapons inspections continue. More teams headed out to check sites in Iraq Wednesday. With Russia, France, Turkey and the Arab League all trying to mediate in the dispute - expectations are high that there will be a resolution. The Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr Moussa told journalists his Iraqi counterpart had hinted that the Baghdad authorities may allow inspection of up to eight sites which are currently off-limits. But, in preparation for any conflict, civilians are receiving basic military training across Iraq. Meanwhile more Iraqi citizens have been responding to Sunday's call for volunteers ranging in age from their teens to their seventies. Men and women are being taught drill and how to handle weapons. SOUNDBITE: (Arabic) "We are here as volunteers of the girl scouts which is being organised by the Ministry of Sport. We are here to be trained to defend our country against the aggressors and we hope that this crisis will be solved in a peaceful manner and not have to resort to violence." SUPER CAPTION: Iraqi military volunteer However, it is unlikely that the volunteer squads being formed in Iraq will pose much of a threat to American military power. As they took their first marching paces on the drill ground the volunteers looked a little out of step with the pace of modern warfare. Elsewhere in Iraq's capital - people are trying to make the best of life under international sanctions. Iraq's government-run press is maintaining a defiant stance, with one newspaper calling for Kuwaitis to reject their government and forget the 1990 invasion. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...