STATEMENT ON FOREIGN POLICY
JAN PETERSEN, MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

NORWAY MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

26 February 2002

Excerpt

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The USA’s considerable military superiority and the successful military operations in Afghanistan have prompted some Americans to say that the US should pay less heed to Europe and other countries and to the need to keep the broad international coalition together, and should launch military operations against Iraq. This is a policy I would caution against. It would undermine the unity of the broad international coalition and in the long term weaken the possibility of eradicating terrorism.

However, there is no doubt that Saddam Hussein is a despot, who has used weapons of mass destruction against his own people and made military attacks on neighbouring countries.

Only broad and lasting international pressure on the regime in Baghdad can change its current course. Iraq must comply with the requirements of the UN resolutions.

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