Indonesia cautious on Iraq request on partner team<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has taken a cautious stance over an Iraqi request to
\nparticipate in a proposed independent team to work along with the
\nUnited Nations arms inspectors, who are scheduled to enter Iraq
\nin the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
Saddam Hussein's special envoy, Humam Abdulkhaleg Abdul
\nGhafoor, on Wednesday met with President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\nto ask Indonesia's participation in the proposed team, but
\nIndonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirayuda said the government
\nhas not given any commitment.<\/p>\n
Speaking to journalists after accompanying Megawati at the
\nmeeting, Hassan said that Indonesia would like to find further
\ndetails on the proposed team before making a decision.<\/p>\n
\"Iraq hopes to set up a partner team to observe the work of
\nthe UN inspectors to ensure the transparency of the inspection
\nprocess. They consider it is important that Indonesia take part
\nin that team,\" Hassan said.<\/p>\n
\"We said that we would like to know the mandate and details of
\nthe team,\" he cited, adding that Indonesia cannot immediately say
\nwhether to accept or deny the request.<\/p>\n
When asked whether such a request indicated Iraq's doubt over
\nthe independence of the UN arms inspector team, Hassan said: \"It
\nis possible. That's why we need to have further details.\"<\/p>\n
He said what he knew now was that the proposed team would
\nconsist of respected individuals.<\/p>\n
\"They said that the idea to establish such a team came from
\nfriends of Iraq, and did not come from Baghdad,\" Hassan told
\njournalists.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Iraqi special envoy Ghafoor said he presented to
\nMegawati a letter from Saddam Hussein.<\/p>\n
\"The letter dealt with the relation with the UN security
\ncouncil and the relation with the United States,\" Ghafoor said
\nafter the meeting.<\/p>\n
He said that the UN inspectors would see that Iraq had been
\nfree from weapons of mass destruction and therefore, there was no
\nreason for the UN to maintain sanctions against his country.<\/p>\n
The special envoy's visit came in the wake of the U.S. refusal
\nfor the UN to send its team of inspectors to Iraq before the UN
\nSecurity Council adopted a much tougher resolution on Iraq.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, remains
\naloof in the Iraq issue, maintaining its stance that there should
\nbe no unilateral action from any country, including the United
\nStates, against Iraq and all solutions should be pursued through
\nthe UN.<\/p>\n
Hassan said that Indonesia would support the dispatch of the
\nUN inspection team, but underlined that Iraq deserves for a fair
\ntreatment and the respect for its sovereignty and dignity.<\/p>",
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