Fischer raises Iraq fears

Fischer (left) did not criticise the airstrikes against Iraq during talks with Powell

WASHINGTON -- German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer has given tentative support to the U.S. policy toward Baghdad after talks with Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Fischer told a news conference that Germany, like the U.S., was concerned that Iraq might seek weapons of mass destruction and long-range missiles.

"We do agree that it is necessary to get Iraq to comply with the U.N. resolutions, all of them, and we listened with great interest to what Secretary of State Powell said in this respect," he said.

Commenting on U.S. and British attacks on Iraqi radar installations near Baghdad on Friday, he said: "We do not criticise the action our allies had to take under an immensely difficult situation, where they have to make sure that they safeguard the lives of the Kurds as well of their own troops."

Powell explained that the air strikes, the first in the Baghdad area for more than two years, were a routine response to Iraqi conduct which might have endangered U.S. and British pilots flying patrols over southern Iraq.

The U.S. and Britain enforce two "no-fly zones" in Iraq, one in the north to protect an autonomous Kurdish region, and one in the south to prevent the Iraqi army from attacking rebellious Shi'ite Muslims.

The "no-fly zones" are part of a long-term strategy of containing Iraq by economic sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and originally through U.N. inspection of its arms programs.

Fischer expressed appreciation that the U.S. was seeking a political solution to the Iraq problem.

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German Foreign Office
US Department of State
Iraqi National Congress
Irai Presidency
UK Government

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