Baghdad - Iraq yesterday accused the US and Britain of making plans to target the country as part of the anti-terror campaign, writes Michael Jansen.
The Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Tariq Aziz, said he was aware they were preparing to hit "300 targets with 1000 missiles ... it is just a matter of time". The objective would be "to replace this government", he said, adding that Iraq's armed forces had recovered from the onslaught of the 1991 Gulf war and would "defend the country". An attack would be "a very grave mistake". While he did not expect the Arab governments to retaliate militarily, the anti- terror coalition would collapse.
Mr Aziz called "baseless" and "ridiculous" accusations that Iraq had supplied anthrax to terrorists. Although US officials said Saturday the anthrax letters sent to politicians and media personalities appear to have been sent by domestic dissidents, the US Deputy Defence Secretary, Mr Paul Wolfowitz, the leading hawk on Iraq, warned that the West should expect large-scale chemical and biological attacks. A poll conducted in the US showed that 56 per cent of the populace strongly support expanding the military campaign to include Iraq, 18 per cent supported it and 22 per cent were opposed.