Washington Bribes, Threatens and Spies on Nations, to Coerce Support for U.S. War on Iraq

Interview with Sarah Anderson, of the Institute for Policy Studies, conducted by Scott Harris

As the United Nations Security Council prepared to vote on a U.S.-British resolution that would authorize war against Iraq, the Bush administration was working furiously to win over the required nine votes they need for passage of the motion. Employing its levers of economic and military aid, the U.S. has placed enormous pressure on the so-called middle six countries now serving as non-permanent members on the Security Council, whose votes are seen as pivotal.

These nations, Guinea, Cameroon, Angola, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan have not only been subjected to promises of billions of dollars of reward and threats of punishment, but they apparently have also been the targets of U.S. espionage. A report in the London Observer newspaper, based on a leaked document, details how American spy agencies have monitored communications at these countries' U.N. offices in hopes of gaining an edge in their campaign to twist arms. Although Turkey was promised a package of grants and loans from Washington worth $15 billion, that nation's Parliament failed to approve a deal to base some 62,000 U.S. soldiers on their territory from which an invasion could be launched on northern Iraq. The White House continues to work for a second vote on the measure.

The Institute for Policy Studies recently published a report which examines the instruments of pressure being brought to bear on members of the U.N. Security Council and other countries the Bush administration is trying to recruit to support its war on Baghdad. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Sarah Anderson, director of the Institute's Global Economy Project and a co-author of the report titled, "Coalition of the Willing or Coalition of the Coerced?" She summarizes the bribes and threats her group says have been employed by the White House to get its way.

Contact the Institute for Policy Studies at (202) 234-9382 or read a copy of their "Coalition of the Willing or Coalition of the Coerced?" report online at www.ips-dc.org

Related links:

"Revealed: U.S. Dirty Tricks to Win Vote on Iraq War," The London Observer, March 2, 2003

LISTEN to this week's half-hour program of Between The Lines by clicking on one of the links below:

http://66.175.55.251/btl031403.html

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Weekly Summary" which features a RealAudio link to the week's program for Between The Lines, send an email to btlsummary-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

For an email subscription of "Between The Lines Q&A" which features a RealAudio link and weekly transcript to one of the interviews featured on Between The Lines, send an email to btlqa-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

*

"Between the Lines," WPKN 89.5 FM's weekly radio news magazine can be heard Tuesdays at 5:30 p.m. ET; Wednesdays at 8 a.m. ET and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ET (Wednesday's show airs at 7:30 a.m. ET during fundraising months of April and October).

*

betweenthelines@snet.net

*

©2003 Between The Lines. All Rights Reserved.

**