REMARKS BY THE SPOKESPERSON

RUSSIAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

September 6, 2002

Excerpt

Question: What's your comment on this night's massive US-British air strike at facilities in the western part of Iraq? Is that the start of a military operation against Baghdad?

Answer: Of course, we have received with great concern news of those actions. However it should be noted that this is far from the first case when US and British aircraft subject to bombings Iraqi territory in the so called no-fly zones, unilaterally established in circumvention of the Security Council of the United Nations.

Our attitude to such actions is well known. We believe that they not only complicate the already tense situation around Iraq, but also make difficult the achievement of a politico-diplomatic solution of the Iraqi problem, including efforts to return international inspectors to Iraq.