(Iraq - still; 03-02; p.3)

The Iraqi government has guaranteed on 16 September to the UN that weapons inspectors may fulfil their mission without additional stipulations:
"I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of the United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions."
(letter sent to United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan from the Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, cited in: BBC News 17/09/02, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2168745.stm)

In regard to world order politics the Bush administration sticks more and more to unconcealed power politics: its national security strategy is orientated towards enforcing its claim for the leading role in the world. (cf. Grobe, K.: "Es gelten die US-Interessen" in: Frankfurter Rundschau no. 223, 25.09.02, D2-edition, p. 2).
Iraq may become an Islamic "core state" (cf. for the term and the concept comprised: Huntington, S.: The clash of civilizations, New York 1996). This would endanger the leading role of the United States in the Gulf.

 

Assessments

That political advantages in home affairs let the president of the most powerful state on earth "wag the dog" to quote a well-known film title may be to the favour of Hollywood directors or conspiracy theoreticians. But the regime of Saddam Hussein is not fictional and that the Iraqi leader is willing to strengthen his power position on the expense of others, he proved several times, e.g. in Northern Iraq and in Kuwait. (read on here)