[Peace-discuss] US will kill Iraqis even if UN disapproves

[C. G. Estabrook]

French veto at UN will not stop US war on Iraq, Perle warns Sunday,

23-Feb-2003 4:00AM 

Copyright 2003 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet) 

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DUBAI, Feb 23 (AFP) - The United States will attack Iraq even if France
uses its veto to block a new resolution in the UN Security Council, top
Pentagon adviser Richard Perle said in an interview published Sunday.

The Bush administration hawk also indicated that after overthrowing Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein Washington might set its sights on Syria's Bashar
al-Assad.

If Paris vetoed a resolution backing war, "We will go (to war) without an
international resolution," the Arabic daily Asharq al-Awsat quoted him as
saying in an interview.

"No American president can allow a French head of state to set American
policy," said Perle, a long-time supporter of a US-led invasion to oust
the Baghdad regime.

The US occupation of Iraq under General Tommy Franks would be only "for an
interim period ... not for a period of 10 years as some say", Perle said.

The administration hawk also offered support for Ahmad Chalabi, head of
the Iraqi National Congress opposition umbrella group, as a successor to
President Saddam Hussein.

"The State Department is not very keen on Chalabi because he's an
independent," Perle noted.

"The experience in Iraq will be a prelude to reforms in the region," Perle
warned. "I hope Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will consider reforms,
otherwise" he may say to himself, "'I could be the second target.'"

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