- Title: SWITZERLAND: TENSIONS OVER IRAQ FLARE UP AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM MEETING IN DAVOS
- Date: 24th January 2003
- Summary: (EUROPE) DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 24, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WS: EXTERIOR OF SHERATON SEEHOF HOTEL 0.04 2. SV/SCU: FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL SHIMON PERES WALKING INSIDE THE HOTEL (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASKED TO COMMENT ON A POSSIBLE U.S. MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF ISRAEL SHIMON PERES SAYS: "I think there will be an action but I believe it won't be the conventional war as we are used to because it is not a war against an army, a war against a country or a state, but it is a war against a dictator." (SOUNDBITE) (English) PERES SAYING "I think that France and Germany and the rest of the world should decide about a strategy on how to fight terror because terror will come to every place, they won't spare anybody. The terrorists have no land, but they can be in every land, they don't have an army, they have killers, they don't respect borders, they don't respect laws, they are becoming global they have become global as the economy became global. And we cannot just sit down and criticize the United States policy without suggesting a very serious alternative." (4 SHOTS) 1.08 3. SV/WS: DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN ADELI IN A MEETING (2 SHOTS) 1.16 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ASKED ABOUT IRAN'S POSITION TO A POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ DEPUTY MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN MOHAMMAD HOSSEIN ADELI SAYING: "We don't think that it would create any kind of conducive environment in the region, it will create a source of instability in the region so we are against that. I think that the United nations has not mandated anybody to attack on any soverereign country though this is not a kind of sympathy to another state but at the same time we are against that." 1.48 5. WS: INTERIOR SEEHOF HOTEL 1.52 6. SV: PRESIDENT OF COLUMBIA ALVARO URIBE VELEZ SPEAKING TO PEOPLE 1.54 7. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA ALVARO URIBE VELEZ SAYING: "We are confident that Venezuela will find a solution fast because if the crisis situation increases, it is very serious for the population which suffering a lot. So I express in the name of the people and the Columbian government our wish that Venezuela recuperates its national unity to resolve the problems." / URIBE VELEZ ENTERING ELEVATOR 2.29 8. SV: ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANISATION FRIENDS OF THE EARTH ACTIVIST BEING HELD BY POLICE; OUTSIDE THE FORUM SAYING TO POLICE IN ENGLISH "I don't want to go down there" 2.41 9. SV: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ACTIVIST SAYING: "Freedom of movement restricted by security in the World Economic Forum. Could you please tell Ian in London. I want to leave, excuse me, I want to leave. " 2.52 10. CU/SV: ACTIVIST SPEAKING TO SECURITY/ SHOWING INSIDE HIS BAG/ CLOSE UP OF LETTERS IN THE HANDS OF POLICE (2 SHOTS) 3.07 11. GV: EXTERIOR OF THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 3.09 12. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S CULTURE MINISTER GILBERTO GIL SAYING: "I think it is important that he comes. A dialogue is being started. Brazil is part of the world today, it is not an isolated country, it cannot be an isolated country. The opportunities for development in Brazil are built by the international community, President Lula knows that, the rest of the world knows that, Brazil has to know that. Brazil knows that. Criticism against his presence here, if there are any, are isolated criticism." 3.43 13. PAN: GIL WALKING INSIDE BUILDING 3.53 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 8th February 2003 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND
- Country: Switzerland
- Reuters ID: LVAC57G0ZKVLWUH4LP56JXND0OQ
- Story Text: Tensions over Iraq have flared at a meeting of global
business and political leaders at the World Economic Forum as
a rift between the United States and key European allies
spooked financial markets.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres told
Reuters in an interview on Friday (January 24) that France and
Germany should offer their own strategy for fighting terrorism
rather than carping against the United States.
"You can't stand by and criticise U.S. policy without
addressing a very serious alternative," Peres said.
"The terrorists have no land, but they can be in every
land, they don't have an army, they have killers, they don't
respect borders, they don't respect laws, they are becoming
global . As the economies became global so they become
global," he said.
Growing strains between Washington and key European allies
sent the dollar tumbling on Friday and spurred global
investors to seek safety for their money.
Iran's deputy minister of foreign affairs, Mohammad
Hossein Adeli said Iran was opposed to military action against
Iraq, saying it would create instability in the region.
"I think that the United Nations has not mandated anybody
to attack on any sovereign country though this is not a kind
of sympathy to another state but at the same time we are
against that," he said.
Policy analysts at the Davos meeting, grouping more than
2,000 members of the global business and political elite, said
relations between the United States and Europe were at their
lowest ebb for decades, with deep mutual exasperation.
The crisis went far beyond this week's public clash over
the timing and justification for any attack on Iraq, and
reflected a growing imbalance in military power, a rift on the
nature of international rules and divergent social values.
While Washington felt Europe was refusing to recognise and
confront threats to security, many Europeans felt the United
States was bent on setting its own rules, disregarding allies
and pursuing military solutions to global problems.
Security tightened on the second day of the forum, with a
police helicopter hovering over the snowbound Alpine resort
and extra barriers brought in to hold back scattered
demonstrations.
The main anti-globalisation protest is planned for
Saturday.
Church groups piled hundreds of pairs of shoes at the
gates in the snow to represent 6,000 people they say have
disappeared in Colombia's drug wars over the past decade. They
said Colombia President Alvaro Uribe's programme to meet
International Monetary Fund targets would hurt the poor and
escalate the war.
"We are confident that Venezuela will find a solution fast
because if the crisis situation increases, it is very serious
for the population which suffering a lot. So I express in the
name of the people and the Colombian government our wish that
Venezuela recuperates its national unity to resolve the
problems," Uribe told Reuters.
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