SWITZERLAND: BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
Record ID:
222957
SWITZERLAND: BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
- Title: SWITZERLAND: BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SPEAKS ON IRAQ AT THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM IN DAVOS
- Date: 21st January 2004
- Summary: (U3) DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 21, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV ENTRANCE TO CONGRESS CENTRE 0.05 2. SLV DELEGATES ARRIVING AT CONGRESS CENTRE 0.14 3. SLV SECURITY OUTSIDE CENTRE 0.25 (W5) DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 21, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 4. LV CONGRESS CENTRE WITH (FROM LEFT) DAVID IGNATIUS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR AND COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST, OLIVIER ROY, SENIOR RESEARCHER, CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE, FRANCE, ALYSON BAILES, DIRECTOR STOCKHOLM INT PEACE RESEARCH CENTRE, SWEDEN, AND BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW 0.29 5. MCU (English) BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY JACK STRAW SAYING: "However the decision to take military action was and remains controversial. I respect the views of those who disagree with us. But I would also ask those who did disagree with us in turn to look back a year and consider the consequences of allowing Saddam to defy the final warning issued unanimously to him to the Iraqi government, by this Security Council in resolution 1441." 1.02 6. LV OF CONFERENCE 1.08 7. MCU/SLV (English) STRAW SAYING: "The discussion which has been stimulated by Ayatollah Sistani is whether there can be an element of elections injected into the earlier part of the process and a large part of that comes down to what you described as technical issues. But essentially is what would be the modality of these elections in circumstances where there are electoral registers and in which the security situation across the country in certain parts remains very difficult. Now that has got to be discussed. We greatly welcome the forward response of the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan." (2 SHOTS) 1.54 8. MCU/SLV (English) STRAW SAYING: "Just in terms of proliferation which was your last question, again I don't claim direct links but I do invite people to examine the coincidence of what has happened in Iraq and then the negotiations in which I was heavily involved in respect of Iran which established an IAEA process in dealing with what has transpired had been Iran's breach of it's clear obligation under the NPT and also the very good news which has flowed from Libya and so in the space of a year we had three major countries which were proliferators or potential proliferators with clear intent, we are now on the road to removing those." (3 SHOTS) 2.53 (U3)DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 21, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. SLV EXTERIOR OF CENTRE WITH FLAGS 2.57 10. LV OF SNOWY STREETS IN DAVOS 3.04 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th February 2004 12:00
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- Location: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVAA6HF59U9N9CPNQ7XX9KH9PSME
- Story Text: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw speaks on Iraq
at the World Economic Forum in Davos
The 33rd annual World Economic Forum (WEF)
officially opened on Wednesday (January 21) and this year's
theme, "Security and prosperity equals peace."
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw led a discussion on
"Setting the 2004 Agenda: Iraq".
He began by defending the coalition forces action in Iraq
last year by asking critics to look back over the year.
"However the decision to take military action was and
remains controversial. I respect the views of those who
disagree with us. But I would also ask those who did
disagree with us in turn to look back a year and consider
the consequences of allowing Saddam to defy the final
warning issued unanimously to him to the Iraqi government,
by this Security Council in resolution 1441," Straw said.
Straw, whose country is the main U.S. ally in Iraq, also
told the World Economic Forum in Davos the United Nations
could play a key role in Iraq's political transition.
Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, spiritual leader of the Shi'ites
who make up 60 percent of Iraq's population, has insisted
on elections to choose a transitional government, rather
than the complex caucus system envisaged under a
U.S.-approved plan.
The regional caucuses would pick a transitional assembly,
which would choose an interim government that would take
over sovereignty from the occupying powers by the end of
June.
Straw said the plan, agreed with the U.S.-backed Iraqi
Governing Council on November 15, would lead to direct
elections next year, but indicated changes could be
considered.
"The discussion which has been stimulated by Ayatollah
Sistani is whether there could be an element of elections
injected into the earlier part of the process," he said.
"A large part of this comes down to...technical issues,"
Sraw said, citing insecurity in parts of Iraq and the
absence of electoral registers. "This needs to be discussed
through."
Sistani's followers have staged large-scale demonstrations
in Iraq in the past two weeks to back his demand for
elections as the only way to form a new government.
He welcomed U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's decision
this week to consider sending a technical team to Iraq to
look into the feasibility of early elections, and his
stated intention to appoint a U.N. special representative
to Iraq.
Annan announced the move after talks on Monday (January 19)
with members of the Governing Council, as well as Iraq's
U.S. administrator Paul Bremer and British envoy to Iraq
Jeremy Greenstock.
Washington, which went to war in Iraq without the backing
of most of the U.N. Security Council and for months opposed
a wider U.N. role in Iraq, now wants the world body to
help.
Sistani has indicated he would accept a U.N. verdict on how
soon elections can be organised in Iraq.
Annan, who withdrew U.N. staff from Iraq after the August
19 bombing of their Baghdad headquarters, has hesitated to
send them back for safety and political reasons.
But Iraq is not the sole focus of attention in Davos.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami "will make a special
address at the opening ceremony," a WEF spokesman said.
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw planned to hold a
private meeting with Khatami on Wednesday evening.
Straw is also participating in a forum later in the day
entitled "Partnering Security Prosperity" which focuses on
the World Economic Forum's main theme this year.
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