iraq
...lamic extremist affiliated wit al Qaeda. Nobody knows for sure or is saying if the substance was found to be poisonous. The United States does not know whether the extremists are linked to Saddam’s government or not. December 16th The prospect of war between the U.S. and Iraq has drawn attention from those hoping for a peaceful solution. An unusual visitor was seen in Baghdad. Actor-director Sean Penn was there this weekend. January 15th When the UN Inspectors went to search the Old Palace in Iraq, on January 15, they were forced to wait 15 minutes before they were given permission to go inside and search. Saddam uses this palace for receiving foreign visitors and ambassadors. Iraq’s Foreign Ministry is calling the inspection a harassment, and saying it had nothing to do with the disarmament that Iraq was told to do. Iraq would have to face “serious consequences” if they were to resist a palace inspection or if it failed to give full cooperation to the inspectors. The President is sending troops to the Gulf incase of an invasion of Iraq. The inspectors have not found any proof that Saddam is holding weapons of mass destruction. January 17th Saddam is brushing aside any hint of compromise with the United States. He proclaimed today that Iraq is ready for war with the United States and warned that his enemies would face "suicide" at the gates of Baghdad. The United States and Britain are accusing Iraq of a secret arms program and Iraq has denied having this but has in return accused the UN inspectors of having “hidden agendas” and getting information on the arms that have not been restricted. The Department spokesman is claiming Saddam’s accusations to be false. President Bush is trying to respond to Saddam’s charges in Baghdad that the UN arms inspectors are spies to overstep the ligitimate purpose. “When you combine that with the fact that his declaration was clearly deficient, it is discouraging news for those of us who want to resolve this issue peacefully," Bush said. Saddam is being required by the United Nations Security Council to surrender his weapons of mass destruction and the U.N. inspectors' first report is due on Jan. 27. Saddam has said that “all or most of these activities constitute purely intelligence work.” His accusations seem to be an intention not to comply with the UN. Friday The relationship with Moscow and Baghdad has been rocky in dealing with the issue of economics after Iraq cancelled an oilfield contract with a Russian company last December. However, Iraq has signed a new deal on Friday with a Russian oil and gas construction company that is worth $3.4 billion. This news will come as a shock to French oil major Totalfinaelf that has long been set-aside for the $3.4 billion development, alongside another big prospect, Majnoon. The initialled contracts were with Soyuzneftegaz for the Rafidain field in southern Iraq and with Tatneft for the Western Desert. The deals, signed by Russia's deputy energy minister Ivan Matlashov and Iraq's oil ministry undersecretary Hussein al- Hadithi, provide a boost to political relations as Baghdad seeks to prevent a military assault by the United States. Moscow is Baghdad's closest ally on the United Nations Security Council. People are finding the deal as an attempt by Baghdad to mend the fences. Paul Collison, energy analyst at Brunswick UBS Warburg in Moscow, told Reuters, "I would interpret these deals as Iraq desperately trying not to lose what little support they may still have.” January 19th The US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, said ...