Zyuganov: War in Iraq will Be the Beginning of Third World War

Russia's Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov believes that the war in Iraq will become, in essence, the beginning of the third world war.

Zyuganov headed the delegation of the Russian State Duma, which visited Baghdad. He told RIA Novosti on Wednesday that the war, with which the USA is threatening Iraq, "is the war against all Arabs, the entire Moslem world, against united Europe and against Russia." The war, the Communist leader is convinced, "will destroy the existing system of international relations for which Russia paid 27 million lives, cross out the results of the second world war and become the beginning of the third world war." According to Zyuganov, the war against Iraq will mean the end of the UN, "it will roll international law three centuries back and will establish the cowboy rule throughout the world." Apart from that, Zyuganov believes, the war will lead to the "destruction of civil society in Europe," where a great part of the population comes out against the war in Iraq, but the governments are for it.

The seizure of Iraqi oil reserves by the United States, Gennady Zyuganov said, means that it will be able to dictate oil prices on the world market.

He sees the way out of the Iraqi crisis in more intensive activity of all the peace forces against the US aggressive plans.

According to the Communist leader, the Russian legislative and executive authorities are unanimous in their approach to the Iraqi problem and believe we should not allow the war in Iraq to be unleashed.

Twenty-nine State Duma deputies, who represent six Duma factions, paid a three-day visit to Iraq to express their solidarity with the Iraqi people.

The delegation was received by president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan and chairman of the Iraqi parliament (National Assembly) Saadun Hamadi.