Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 17, 1993 TAG: 9301170072
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
IRAQ'S TERMS REJECTED
Raising the prospect of renewed bombing raids against Iraq, the United Nations on Saturday rejected Baghdad's latest offer on allowing inspection flights into the country, saying its conditions were unacceptable.Baghdad on Saturday bowed to pressure from the world body and promised safe passage for the flights, but said the U.N. planes must fly over Jordan, not two zones where allies have barred Iraqi aircraft.
Iraq also threatened Saturday to shoot down allied planes that enter its territory, and a confrontation simmered on the border with Kuwait over six police posts Baghdad should have torn down.
"The response is that the special commission cannot operate effectively if it is forced to enter the airspace of Jordan," said Tim Trevan, spokesman for the commission designated to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
He indicated the next move was up to Iraq. The United Nations was "still expecting that Iraq would abide by its obligations," he said.
The development escalated the weeklong confrontation between Baghdad and the world body, raising prospects of new military strikes against Iraq following an allied bombing raid Wednesday.
White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said the United States was consulting with its coalition partners about the U.N. statement, but "remains determined" to make Iraq comply with U.N. resolution.
Even as the diplomats and U.S. officials debated their next moves, reports of military clashes between Iraqi and U.S. planes came from Turkey.
Maj. Mike Waters, a spokesman for the U.S.-led allied coalition force based in Incirlik, said Saturday that two American F-111s had encountered fire Friday night in northern Iraq, but neither was damaged.
The West imposed no-fly zones in both the north and south of Iraq, to block Iraqi attacks on Shiite Muslims and Kurds.
Waters denied an Iraqi television report that Iraqi planes had chased two allied warplanes over the northern town of Mosul and that Iraqi anti-aircraft missiles had fired on another plane over the town and forced it to flee.
The new Iraqi limits on the U.N. Special Commission's inspection flights violate Security Council demands that Iraq allow the inspectors "unrestricted freedom of entry and exit" in their mission to destroy Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.
Trevan said Iraq is obliged to allow U.N. planes access from any point of their choosing. He added that it must "insure the safety and security of aircraft."
He said the United Nations had sent a note to Iraq's government informing it of the world body's position, adding that a flight scheduled today would not go unless Iraq gave the necessary guarantees.