Iraq Complies with U.N. by Destroying Missiles

Iraq destroyed four al-Samoud 2 ballistic missiles on Saturday in accordance with a U.N. deadline. Baghdad had announced it would destroy all al-Samoud 2 missiles in a letter sent to the U.N. the day before.

Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix (photo) welcomed the decision as "a very significant piece of real disarmament." Blix had previously demanded concrete proof of the destruction of the missiles from Baghdad. The U.N. said the missiles’ 150 km (93 mile) range exceeded the U.N. limit set in 1991. Iraq has between 100 and 120 such missiles according to the international body.

The four missiles were dismantled in the rocket center Al Taje, north of Bagdad. Earlier in the day U.N. weapons inspectors and Iraqi representatives met to discuss the technical arrangements and schedule for doing away with the missiles. Besides the al-Samoud missiles, the U.N. has demanded that Iraq destroy al-Samoud missile fuel, about 380 missiles engines and all components associated with the engine.

Iraq’s surprise back-down on its ballistic missiles has raised hopes that the conflict over the country's disarmament may still be resolved by peaceful means.

Optimism among German, French politicians

On Friday, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and his French counterpart, Dominique de Villepin welcomed Baghdad’s decision. Berlin and Paris are united in their view that war can yet be avoided and are attempting to block a U.S.-led military strike against Iraq with a plan of extending U.N. inspections.

Speaking in Brussels on Friday, Fischer (photo)emphasized that the process of getting Iraq to disarm peacefully must be continued.

"I don’t understand, why this process should now be concluded, when it has only just begun to show concrete results," he said. Fischer said he hoped that implementing a Security Council resolution in the Security Council would involve reaching a peaceful solution together with the weapons inspectors. Fischer pointed out that Baghdad must implement the U.N. resolutions completely.

"The instrument for that is the inspectors. They are making progress. We should continue the process," the German foreign minister said.

Paris hails Iraqi offer as "important step"

France too has described Iraq’s offer to destroy its missiles as an "important step." French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said in Paris on Friday the move would support the process proposed by "France and the majority of the international community" after talks with his Greek counterpart and current EU Council president, Giorgis Papandreou.

De Villepin urged Iraq to being with the destruction of its missiles "without delay." The French diplomat directed his appeal in particular towards Spain and Great Britain, the U.S.’ closest allies in its determination to wage a war against Iraq, when he said that one should be open in the Iraq crisis and stick to the EU resolution of Feb. 17. In the resolution, all 15 EU member states signed statements saying "war is not unavoidable" and violence should be used as a "last resort."

"France calls upon its European friends, in particular Spain and Great Britain, to stay true to this stance," de Villepin said.

Spain and Great Britain harden stance

Meanwhile, Spain and Great Britain have hardened their stance in the face of Iraq’s latest offer.

British Foreign Minister Jack Straw called the destruction of the missiles "a cynical trick." At a Labor Party conference in northwestern England on Saturday Straw accused Saddam of making "tiny concessions at the last minute" just to win time.

"The moment I heard earlier in the week that Saddam Hussein was saying he would not destroy the missiles was the moment I knew that later in the week he would announce, just before Dr Blix reported, that he would indeed destroy these missiles," British Prime Minister said on Friday.

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has also expressed doubt about Saddam’s true motives. "Saddam is playing a horrific game with millions of people, who want peace," he said in Madrid on Friday. Aznar reiterated that Spain and Great Britain believed that the Iraq crisis must be resolved through the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. unmoved by destruction of missiles

Likewise, the U.S. has remained unimpressed by the Iraqis actions.

White House spokesman Ari Fleisher said Iraq must disarm entirely not just "piecemeal."

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld described the move as part of Iraqi tactics.

"They refuse to cooperate, don't cooperate, drag it out, wait till someone finally nails them with one little piece of the whole puzzle, and refuse to do anything about it, and finally when they see pressure building they say, 'well, maybe we'll do some of that,'" he said.

Rumsfeld said President Bush had made it clear that the destruction of the missiles would make no difference to the United States. Secretary of State Colin Powell too said the Iraqi move would not change America’s view of the situation.