Former South African President Nelson Mandela on Monday intensified his criticism of US policy on Iraq, and alleged that race was a factor in countries questioning the United Nations.
”No country, however powerful it may be, is entitled to act outside the United Nations,” he told local ‘Trans TV’ on his arrival at Jakarta’s Sukarno Hatta Airport for a four-day trip.
”The United Nations is here to promote peace in the world and any country that acts outside the United Nations is making a serious mistake.”
Mandela, a frequent critic of US policy on Iraq, also said that countries were only challenging the mandate of the United Nations now because Secretary-General Kofi Annan is black.
”I have also said when the secretary-generals were white, we never had the question of any country ignoring the United Nations,” he said.
”But now that we have got the black secretary-generals like Boutros Boutros Ghali and now Kofi Annan, certain countries that believe in white supremacy, are ignoring the United Nations,” he said. ”We have to combat that without reservation.”
President Bush said the United States will lead a coalition to oust Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from power if he does not destroy his weapons of mass destruction.
Iraq has said it will allow weapons inspectors into the country to check its weapons capability. But on Saturday, it said they must return under terms of previous UN resolutions, meaning inspectors would not have access to sprawling presidential palaces as the US has demanded.
Mandela and the South African government have good relations with Iraq. Mandela has called the United States a threat to world peace and said its belligerent policy toward Iraq was an effort to appease the oil and arms industry.
Before meeting with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz on the sidelines of the World Summit in Johannesburg earlier this month, Mandela told reporters he was ”appalled” by US threats against Baghdad.
Mandela is scheduled to meet President Megawati Sukarnoputri on Tuesday and spend the remainder of his time working with children’s charities. Embassy officials described his visit as a private. – Sapa-AP