Tony Blair, Clinton to hold pivotal meeting on Iraq

[Flabbergasted]

Next week's meeting between Clinton and Blair may set the course for the U.S. and Great Britain
January 31, 1998
Web posted at: 9:57 p.m. EDT (2157 GMT)


BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- White House sources tell CNN that next week's meeting between President Clinton and British Prime Minister Tony Blair could be a turning point in dealing with Saddam Hussein -- unless the Iraqi president embraces a diplomatic solution to the weapons inspection standoff beforehand.

These sources say no military action would be considered until Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returns from her travels drumming up support for a tough line against Iraq.

Said one official: "The string doesn't run out at least until Madeleine gets back, but it is getting pretty short."

Given Blair's support for the U.S. position in dealing with Iraq, the sources said the two leaders were planning a strong condemnation of Hussein's behavior for their joint news conference on Friday, and that strategy for a military response would be a major subject of their talks.

Also, the official said several senior administration officials have been in touch with key members of Congress in recent days to bring them up to speed on administration strategy.


Stern warnings to Iraq

Meanwhile, American officials warned Iraq of U.S. military might.

Rear Adm. Michael Mullen, speaking from the deck of the USS George Washington, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier stationed about 100 miles off the southern coast of Iraq, said Saturday that if ordered to do so, Navy warplanes could launch continued attacks against Iraq for weeks in a "very precise and devastating manner."

Defense Secretary William Cohen on Saturday said in a Pentagon interview that any attack by the United States would be "significant." But Cohen warned against "unreasonable expectations" from any raids on Iraq, and stressed that there would be no attempt to destroy the country or depose the Iraqi president.

He said strikes would curtail Hussein's ability to make chemical or biological weapons or threaten his neighbors, but not render him completely harmless.

"The United State does not want to be in the position, nor do any of our allies, to say: 'Let's just devastate Iraq.'"

But, Cohen said, "The United States has the power to do great damage."

Sen. Jesse Helms, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said on CNN's "Evans & Novak" that he hopes President Clinton consults Congress before any action is take against Iraq. He said he hopes a military strike wouldn't be used as a "political gambit" to take the public's minds off of other events.


'The window is narrowing'

Speaking earlier Saturday in London, Albright said the time was fast approaching for fundamental decisions on Iraq as diplomacy proving unable to resolve the crisis.

"The window is narrowing ... It looks as if diplomacy is not working," she told a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook.

In Amman, King Hussein of Jordan on Saturday said in a letter to his brother Crown Prince Hassan, broadcast by state TV, that Iraq should give in to U.N. demands for unrestricted access to search for weapons of mass destruction and take the threat of a military strike gravely.

"The stubbornness in not responding to the demands of the Security Council is a very dangerous misjudgment and will, God forbid, push towards an explosions," King Hussein said.

http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9801/31/iraq.pm/index.html

[whistle]

1. Aren't you a little late on posting this piece? 1998???

[Flabbergasted]

2. Not at all. It's great context in retrospect.

[whistle]

3. Okay, it is that, but it would have been even better if it had said

..."Flash, March 26, 2007, former President Clinton meeting with UK PM Tony Blair next week to encourage the prime minister to resign right away and save the world from WW III!"

[Flabbergasted]

4. Agreed on that one.