Russian Parliament to Consider Draft Resolution in Connection With Aggravation of Situation Around Iraq

The State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament) is going to consider the draft resolution in connection with the aggravation of the situation around Iraq at its plenary session on Wednesday. The draft has been prepared by a group of deputies from the Duma defence and international affairs committee.

The document points out that the Iraqi government "thoroughly fulfils the demands of the UN Security Council Resolution." "Iraq forwarded to the UN Security Council, within the established time-limit, a report with a detailed account of its programmes for the development of biological and nuclear weapons and the systems of their delivery, and ensured the immediate, free and unlimited access of UN inspectors to any facilities on Iraqi territory," the draft resolution states.

The document also stresses that the UN inspectors did not found any proof that Iraq possesses chemical, biological and nuclear weapons or is going to create them.

The preliminary data, the draft resolution points out, show that Iraq fulfilled its commitments to liquidate the mass destruction weapons.

The State Duma deputies point out that the Security Council resolution stipulates that when Iraq fulfils all the demands on disarmament the sanctions against it should be cancelled.

The draft resolution expresses anxiety of the State Duma's deputies that the USA, not waiting for the results of the UN Security Council's commission work, began preparing for a military operation, an armed invasion of Iraq to forcefully change the leadership there.

"The US actions can be regarded as preparation for armed aggression against a UN member country, which contradicts the Charter of this organisation and can undermine its prestige, destabilise the situation throughout the world and trigger off new threats of international terrorism," the document says.

In this connection, the State Duma deputies are going to urge the president and the government of Iraq to "immediately take all the possible measures to prevent a US action against the country." The State Duma believes it is necessary to coordinate the joint actions of Russia, the European and Middle East states to search for political means which will make it possible to prevent a war in the Middle East, stresses the statement of the lower house of parliament.

In addition, the deputies propose that a State Duma delegation be sent to Iraq "to study the situation in the republic."