War in Iraq could ruin alliance says Schroeder

By KIM SENGUPTA in London

BERLIN - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said yesterday that a military strike on Iraq could destroy international support for the United States-led war on terror.

"This war [on terror] is not yet won, so I warn against an attack on Iraq," Schroeder told the Bild newspaper.

"It would be less easily understood as an act of defence and could destroy the international alliance against terror."

Schroeder, who is lagging in opinion polls ahead of federal elections on September 22, has stressed his opposition to a possible US attack on Iraq in recent days, in what analysts say is an attempt to mobilise left-wing voters.

An attack on Iraq using overwhelming airpower, as opposed to a mass land invasion, is gaining support in the US and British Governments, defence and diplomatic sources say.

The operation envisages prolonged and pulverising bombardment of Iraqi defences followed by the insertion of medium-sized light brigades of airborne troops once resistance has collapsed.

The air option is particularly attractive to London as it will keep British involvement to a minimum in a war which is bound to provoke huge public protest.

The growing disquiet over Prime Minister Tony Blair's backing for President George W. Bush was once again in evidence yesterday when leading church figures, including the Archbishop of Canterbury designate, Dr Rowan Williams, presented a 3000-name petition to Downing St questioning the moral and legal validity of a war.

Also yesterday, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told Iraq it would have to send a "formal invitation" for UN inspectors to return to Baghdad before further substantive talks could be held on weapons issues.

He was replying to Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri, who invited chief UN inspector Hans Blix to Baghdad for a review of suspected weapons of mass destruction.

Annan outlined steps Iraq must accept under a 1999 Security Council resolution calling for the return of the inspectors.

At issue is Iraq's insistence that the talks with Blix focus on a UN evaluation of what remains to be done in investigating nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic weapons programmes.

But the 1999 resolution says the inspectors cannot determine "key remaining disarmament tasks" until they are back on the ground to see what happened since they left in December 1998.

Movement on the inspectors would probably create new international pressure on the US to hold back on military action.

An air war would solve the political problem of finding bases for large numbers of troops in countries neighbouring Iraq.

After a successful bombing campaign, a force of about 70,000 could be sent in by sea and air, without the need of large-scale local bases.

The generals have warned that about 10 per cent of the force might end up as casualties in a land war. Air strikes would minimise losses.

Iraqi air defences are believed to be in a very poor state.

- INDEPENDENT, REUTERS

Feature: Iraq

UNSCOM

Iraq Action Coalition (against Iraq sanctions

Arab net - Iraq resources

Iraq Oil-for-Food programme

Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq