Russia warns of consequences if U.S. attacks Iraq

Sound CNN Correspondent Jamie McIntyre witnessed the warning given by Sergeyev to Cohen 311K/28 sec. AIFF format 311K/28 sec. WAV format

Cohen lectured by Russian counterpart

In this story:

• Public criticism unusual
• 'What if we fail to act?'
• No Iraqi response Russian proposal

February 12, 1998
Web posted at: 11:21 p.m. EST (0421 GMT)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Russia's defense chief publicly lectured U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen Thursday, warning that a U.S. military strike against Iraq could damage Russian-U.S. defense ties.

"I would like to relay to you our deep concern over the possible prospects for Russian-U.S. relations in the military field, especially if military action is taken," reporters heard Russian Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev tell Cohen at the start of talks in Moscow.

President Boris Yeltsin and other top Russian leaders have been highly critical of the U.S. threat to strike against Iraq over the arms inspection standoff. But Thursday marked the first time the Russians had made such comments in a public face-to-face setting with a senior American official.

Sergeyev made his statements in front of television cameras with Cohen nearby -- an unusual move. The Russian official criticized the United States for acting too hastily in seeking possible military action. "Is America ready for all the possible consequences?" he said.

Cohen kept his cool during the unusual 10-minute lecture. Typically in Russia, television crews and reporters are only allowed a photo opportunity for meetings between high-ranking officials.

As Cohen's assistants looked on in stunned silence, the defense secretary asked to respond to Sergeyev. Russian security guards pushed reporters out of the room before Cohen finished his response.

'What if we fail to act?'

Cohen kept his cool during the unusual lecture

Cohen said the president has been proceeding cautiously and with great prudence. He said it was equally appropriate to ask the question, "What if we fail to act?"

Cohen said that every country that he has visited, including Russia, has said that U.N. inspectors must be allowed into presidential sites in Iraq.

In Washington, White House press secretary Mike McCurry downplayed the confrontation.

"They clearly had a disagreement about the tactics that the international community ought to consider as we bring pressure to bear on Iraq," McCurry said. "But there is no disagreement that Saddam Hussein, and Iraq, need to be in full compliance, and they spent a great deal of time talking about how they can go about achieving that end."

He added, "The Russian Federation clearly has a different view on the utility of use of force, and we have known that and there is nothing new about that."

Earlier, Cohen said the two sides disagreed on whether military power can be used to enforce U.N. resolutions on Iraq, but agreed on the need to seek a diplomatic solution to the standoff.

Cohen arrived on Wednesday evening after a six-nation Gulf tour. His talks in Moscow were intended to concentrate on nuclear safety and disarmament but the Iraq crisis has now taken center stage.

No Iraqi response Russian proposal

In other developments:

• Iraq still has not responded to a new Russian proposal intended to resolve the impasse over arms inspections in Iraq.
  
  Iraq said Wednesday it was willing to allow new inspectors selected by the U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to search eight disputed compounds for two months. But the United States rejected that idea, saying it would not accept a time constraint or a change in the standing team of U.N. weapons inspectors.
  
  A spokeswoman for the Palestinian embassy in Moscow said the Russian proposal is new and not to be confused with Iraq's.
  
  
• Iraq blasted six Gulf states for siding with the U.S.-led coalition and said it was coordinating with other Arab neighbors to make the U.S. aware of the "dire consequences" if it chooses to use force.
  
  A statement was read in Baghdad by a Culture and Information Ministry spokesman saying it was "bad, silly and strange" that the Gulf states had warned Iraq earlier in the week that if it were attacked it would be Iraq's fault.
  
  The Iraqi statement accused the Gulf states of being influenced by "Kuwaiti rulers' hatred and policy" against Iraq.
  
  In Cairo, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf emerged from a meeting with Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abdel-Meguid and said Iraq was coordinating "with our Arab brothers" to make the U.S. realize that if it chooses war it will not be "a picnic."
  
  Sahhaf also said, however, that he thought that "the door is still open for political efforts" to end the crisis.
  
  
• British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the compromise offered by the Iraqis Wednesday "absolutely hopeless" because of the 60-day limit it would impose. Blair said one "presidential site" in Iraq is the size of Paris.
  
  
• A U.N. spokesman in Baghdad said that a military strike on Iraq could disrupt the flow of desperately need food, medicine and other supplies to Iraqis under the oil-for-food program.
  
  Eric Falt, spokesman of the U.N. Office of the Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, also said that U.N. staffers posted in Iraq who are now on leave have been urged not to return until the crisis is resolved.
  
  
• At the United Nations, Britain submitted a resolution that will raise the amount of oil Iraq will be allowed to sell from $2 billion to $5.256 billion. Other countries, including the United States, are expected to support the resolution, although the United States wants changes in the resolution first.
  
  
• A vote on whether to support the use of force in Iraq by the U.S. Senate was delayed when Majority Leader Trent Lott acknowledged that "If we asked unanimous consent to take this resolution up today and vote on it, we wouldn't get it."
  
  Lott said key senators missed the session, and that the wording of the resolution had not been resolved.
  
  
• An Argentine newspaper citing "unquestionable sources" reported that Argentina is studying the possibility of sending troops or equipment to support a strike against Iraq.
  
  
• President Clinton called the president of Spain and the prime minister of New Zealand thanking them for their support regarding Iraq.

Military Affairs Correspondent Jamie McIntyre and

Reuters contributed to this report.

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