Jerusalem Post - 10.01.2002

 

Jerusalem Post

Sharon to Putin: Too Late for Iraq Arms Inspection 

By Herb Keinon

With Russia leading international efforts to get United Nations weapons inspectors back into Iraq, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday that the time when these inspectors could have been effective has passed. 

According to a senior diplomatic official in Sharon's entourage, Sharon told Putin that Israel believes Iraq has used the four years since the UN inspectors left to both further develop and effectively hide non-conventional weapons. 

"The time has passed when the inspectors could do a thorough job," Sharon said. 

Before the meeting, Putin had called for a speedy return of UN weapons inspectors to Baghdad, but said a solution to the Iraqi issue must be found by the Security Council. 

"Russia supports the US in its struggle against world terrorism," he said, adding, "Israel is one of the main partners in this important coalition.

"We need to find a diplomatic, political solution to Iraq with the return of the supervisors, according to UN resolutions," Putin added. 

Putin also stressed the importance of Israeli-Russian ties and noted that bilateral trade has risen to $1 billion a year. 

According to the official, Sharon told Putin Israel will "know how to defend itself if attacked." The senior source added that Israel's repeated warnings of a counterattack have inspired the United States -- if it does attack Iraq -- to make sure that Iraq does not have the capability to fire missiles at Israel. 

Sharon characterized his talks with Putin during a speech afterward to Russian Jewish leaders as "very warm and open." 

The source in Sharon's entourage said the leaders discussed at length Syria, Iran -- including Israel's concern about Russia's transfer of nuclear technology and material to Teheran -- Lebanon, and Hizbullah and the link between them. 

The discussions were scheduled to last for 90 minutes, but continued for three and a half hours, forcing Sharon to postpone talks with Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov. Sharon is to meet Ivanov today, as well as President Mikhail Kazyanov and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Alexy II before flying home this evening. 

During his speech to Jewish leaders after the meeting, Sharon hinted at security cooperation with Russia in fighting Muslim terrorism: Israel against Palestinian terrorism and Russia against Chechnyan terrorism. 

It is natural, Sharon said, for strategic discussions to be held between countries facing a similar foe, and pointed out that the losses Israel has suffered over the past two years would be equivalent to Russia losing 18,000 people to terrorist attacks. 

The senior diplomatic source said Sharon walked away from the meeting with the feeling that Putin, because of Russia's situation in Chechnya, understands Israel's battle against terrorism perhaps better than others do. 

In this spirit, Sharon took pains at a photo opportunity in the Kremlin before the meeting to praise Russia's role in mediating Israeli-Palestinian diplomatic issues. The source said later that, in Sharon's mind, Russia is more balanced than some of the other members of the the Quartet, which also consists of the US, the EU, and the UN. 

Putin, meanwhile, praised Sharon before the meeting for lifting the 10-day siege on Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's headquarters. 

"We keenly welcome your decision to lift the siege of Yasser Arafat's headquarters," Putin told Sharon. "I believe this decision was difficult to take." 

Putin then repeated calls for Israeli troops to leave Palestinian cities and for the Palestinians to punish attacks against Israel.

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