Russia catches US pressurising UN inspectors

Russian intelligence has caught the US government using pressure tactics to force the UN weapons inspectors in Iraq to provide excuses for war. The Russian representative at the UN Security Council has received information about the US trying to manipulate UN inspectors. Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov made the following statement at a press conference today:

"On the basis of this information, the inspectors are being subjected to very strong pressure in order to provoke their departure from Iraq, as occurred in 1998, or to present to the Security Council assessments which could be used as a pretext for the use of force against Iraq"

Reuters international news agency observed that "Igor Ivanov's remarks were stronger than Moscow's previous allegations that Washington was putting pressure on the inspectors" and called it "a clear attack on U.S. policy".

The Russian diplomat did not disclose exactly what tactics the US government were using to try and force inspectors to justify the war. Apparently he expected the White House would know exactly what he was talking about.

SOURCE: Reuters, "Russia Urges End to 'Pressure' on Iraq Inspectors", 20 February 2003