ENVIRONMENT-IRAQ: War will have disastrous effect on the region

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Att.Editors: The following item is by the United Arab Emirates news agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI, Feb 5 2003 (IPS) - Syrian Oil Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al Haddad has warned of disastrous environmental effects of a possible war against Iraq on all countries of the region.

– When missiles fall and explode along Iraq’s borders with Syria and Jordan, mechanical and thermal oscillation will follow and will have high radioactive and chemical emissions," Al Haddad said in an exclusive statement to WAM today.

He also warned of use of depleted uranium in any shelling on Iraq. ôIt was previously used against the Iraqi people and by time it will have serious impacts, particularly on children," he said. The Syrian official admitted that there was a kind of slackness among Arabs towards preservation of environment, attributing it to lack of a candid joint strategy in this respect.

He said that the developing world was always accused of neglecting the environment and that only the developed countries did care for it. ôSuch an accusation is invalid since industrial pollution in the West is worse than in any other place," Al Haddad maintained.

Commenting on the Abu Dhabi environmental declaration, issued on Monday at the Arab Energy and Environment Ministers’ meeting here on Monday, the Syrian Oil Minister said it was a significant initiative at both Arab and international levels because energy "is an extremely important issue and a mainstay for living in the earth planet."