Iraq
As US Defence Secretary William Cohen embarks on a three-day tour of six Gulf states, Saudi Arabia has declared its opposition to a military strike against Iraq, setting a diplomatic challenge for the US official ahead of a meeting with King Fahd. The confrontation is over Iraq's obstruction
Iraq
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright's meeting with six Arab leaders has yielded little hope for a peaceful resolution to the crisis over Iraq, with none of them objecting to the use of force if diplomatic efforts fail. Meanwhile, France has sent a top envoy to Baghdad, and
Iraq
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright returned from six-day diplomatic talks with Arab leaders in the Middle East, stating that none of them had expressed opposition to a potential US attack on Iraq. The talks aimed at gaining support for a US military operation if Iraq continues to bar UN
Iraq
French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright met for a working dinner, agreeing that all options must remain open to resolve the Iraq crisis. The meeting marked a significant shift in France's stance, as they had previously opposed the use of force to
Iraq
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has secured a qualified endorsement from the French government for the use of military force against Iraq, a significant shift from France's previous opposition to U.S. air strikes. The new stance, fueled by Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine's comments, has given
United Nations
As the United Nations Security Council chastises Saddam Hussein for obstructing weapons inspections in Iraq, President Clinton's reluctance to take decisive action has drawn fire from critics who say the world must wait and see what happens. Despite widespread knowledge that biological and chemical weapons are present in
United Nations
The threat posed by Saddam Hussein is a serious concern for the international community. His regime has invaded neighboring countries, launched missiles against Israel, and pursued the development of weapons of mass destruction. However, a purely military solution may not address the root of the problem. Appealing as it may
Iraq
Tensions between Iraq and Jordan reached a boiling point last month when Iraq executed four Jordanian students, accused of small-scale smuggling. However, it emerged that the executions were a retaliatory measure by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein due to his belief that Jordan was plotting against him. The alleged plot, revealed
Iraq
President Clinton accused Iraqi President Saddam Hussein of trying to "pick and choose" the weapons inspectors, as Iraq threatened to bar a US-led team of inspectors from visiting sites suspected of containing weapons of mass destruction. The crisis comes as the 16-member team, led by Scott Ritter, a
Petroleum
Crude oil prices plunged on both sides of the Atlantic on Monday as word spread that Iraqi crude oil exports were likely to resume soon. The drop in prices was triggered by the expected approval of the humanitarian oil sale plan, which would allow Iraqi oil to flow into the
