Non-aligned nations criticize U.S. over Iraq policy<\/p>\n
Saif Eldin Hamdan, Reuters, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Leaders of the developing world stepped up behind Iraq on the
\nfinal day of a summit on Tuesday, lashing out at U.S. aggression
\nand upholding the role of the United Nations to resolve crises.<\/p>\n
Casting a shadow over the summit of the Non-Aligned Movement
\n(NAM) was a missile launch by member North Korea that drew
\nexpressions of consternation from nations trying to present a
\nunited front and to end a crisis over the North's suspected
\nnuclear program.<\/p>\n
Iraq told the 115 other members it was doing its utmost to
\ncomply with UN weapons inspections. Its officials have voiced
\ndelight at a succession of speeches denouncing war by leaders of
\na bloc that accounts for almost two-thirds of the United Nations.<\/p>\n
President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe opened proceedings on the
\nsecond and final day of the three-yearly NAM summit with a
\nblistering attack on the United States and President George W.
\nBush as a "big brother" proliferating arms and on Britain's Tony
\nBlair as a neo-colonialist.<\/p>\n
The United States should set an example by being the first to
\ndestroy its enormous stocks of weapons, Mugabe said.<\/p>\n
"Iraq might have developed or desired to develop arms of mass
\ndestruction," he said. "But the United States has massive arms of
\nthat magnitude. Why can't they demonstrate what Iraq should (do)
\nby destroying their own massive heaps first?"<\/p>\n
Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan welcomed the NAM
\nposition. "International support and sympathy with Iraq was a
\ndecisive element in exposing American colonialist intentions," he
\nsaid told the gathering.<\/p>\n
"We express our gratitude to all for what NAM has done to
\noppose the aggressive intentions by the U.S. against Iraq," said
\nthe cigar-chomping Iraqi official.<\/p>\n
Support came from an expected quarter when Syria said it would
\nvote against a second resolution on Iraq filed by Britain on
\nMonday at the United Nations.<\/p>\n
"There is no justification for suggesting any draft. The
\ninspectors are doing their work in implementation of resolution
\n1441," Vice-President Abdel-Halim Khaddam told Reuters.
\n"Therefore, we do not agree with this draft."<\/p>\n
Syria holds one of the revolving seats on the 15-member
\nSecurity Council and is the only Arab member.<\/p>\n
NAM's views matter because five other members are currently on
\nthe UN Security Council -- Angola, Guinea, Chile, Pakistan and
\nCameroon. Seven votes against can defeat a resolution.<\/p>\n
Delegates from Cameroon and Pakistan said they needed to take
\na close look at the resolution before they could comment.
\nAngola said Washington would have to explain why a second
\nresolution on Iraq was needed before it decided its position.<\/p>\n
Most developing nations want weapons inspectors in Iraq to be
\ngiven more time. NAM nations have seized on a March 1 deadline
\nfor Iraq to start destroying longer-range missiles and avert war.<\/p>\n
Leaders stressed the importance of respect for U.N. processes
\nas NAM struggles for relevance in a world with just one remaining
\nsuperpower.<\/p>\n
The speeches that increasingly pitched the Third World against
\nthe richer nations maintained the theme of opposition to war
\nwhile urging Iraq to comply with UN resolutions and get rid of
\nany weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
The United States, Britain and the West "have turned
\nthemselves into ferocious hunting bull-dogs raring to go as they
\nsniff for more blood, Third World blood", Mugabe said.<\/p>\n
"We, their hunted game, are for slaughter," he said.
\nThe summit was set to issue a statement that Baghdad comply with
\nUN demands and scrap weapons of mass destruction, but it would
\nalso take a swipe at the United States by stressing the need for
\nmultilateral, rather than unilateral, action.<\/p>\n
The United States, backed by Britain, is massing troops on
\nIraq's border and threatening war unless Saddam Hussein
\nsurrenders the alleged weapons.<\/p>\n
Many NAM members want to discuss ways to boost the living
\nstandards of countries whose 116 economies combined are equal
\nonly to 90 percent of the U.S. economy, but the issue of weapons
\nof mass destruction dominated and North Korea's missile test may
\nforce yet another last-minute change to their final statement.<\/p>\n
Kim Yong Nam, president of secretive North Korea's Supreme
\nPeople's Assembly, made a rare appearance at an international
\nforum. Kim did not mince words in attacking the United States.<\/p>\n
"The nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula is the eventual
\nproduct of the deep-rooted policy pursued by the U.S. for more
\nthan half a century in order to isolate and stifle the DPRK
\n(North Korea)," Kim said.<\/p>\n
Kim repeated North Korea's demand for a non-aggression treaty
\nwith Washington as the way to solve the crisis.<\/p>\n
Members of NAM, which had watered down a statement on North
\nKorea's nuclear ambitions after Pyongyang insisted there be no
\ncriticism of its policy, expressed consternation.<\/p>",
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