Producer: Ariel Wee, Radio Singapore International
First broadcast: April 11 2003

Iraq's Ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Al-Douri, has reportedly said he will quit
his job there.

In an interview today, Al-Douri was quoted as saying he's leaving the US because
he doesn't think there's a possibility for him to work as he wants from a country that is militarily invading Iraq, destroying, ravaging and killing.

The media's been speculating Al Douri's fate after Baghdad's collapse amidst
conflicting reports that he had already left the US for either Paris or Amsterdam.

The White House has also been asked if the Bush administration will arrest Al
Douri or any other Iraqi official in the US.

Ariel Wee spoke to political analyst, Dr Kabilan Krishnasamy, from theUniversity of Western Australia, to ask what lies ahead for Ambassador Al Douri.

Dr Krishnasamy: "Well, it's interesting that you ask that question because recently I was watching television and there was an interview that CNN was trying to have with him and he was in fact trying to make an escape from the interview. But he said, interestingly, that he has got no connections whatsoever with Saddam Hussein and his presidential cabinet. That is quite interesting from a person who has been fighting for Iraq's case in the United Nations Security Council to make such a statement. But nevertheless, it'd be interesting to see what his position would be in the post-Iraqi situation. Whether Al-Douri is going to have some kind of a diplomatic standing and whether he would be recognised."

Q: Al-Douri has met privately with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday and
during that meeting, he didn't ask for any political asylum or protection from Mr Annan. So, presumably, he doesn't need it?

Dr Krishnasamy: "I suppose he doesn't because I don't think anything could happen to him because there're no grounds to arrest him. He's a diplomat. He's both a representative of Iraq in the pre-war crisis and he was a representative of Iraq. And diplomats, they do have the right of say in such an international forum. And now with a new Iraq, he might be given an opportunity to burn all the old documents and get involved in the new process of rebuilding Iraq. So, it all depends on Al-Douri."

Q: Mohammed Al-Douri is probably extremely relieved isn't he, that this is all over after all that badgering at the UN before the launch of the war.

Dr Krishnasamy: "Well, in some sense, I feel sorry for that man because we don't really know what sort of representation he makes for Iraq and I suppose although
he is the representative of the Iraqi mission in the UN, we really don't know how much he supports Saddam Hussein's policies. And obviously it's quite difficult for that sort of person to go through indeed all that badgering in the UN Security Council, and it's not just now, for almost ten, twelve years. And it's a good thing that this happened, he should be relieved in fact."

Q: What about Iraqi diplomats around the world? Iraq has embassies in Tokyo, Beijing, Belgrade, Athens, etc. There appears to be this great confusion over their fate and there've been reports of embassies burning and shredding documents.

Dr Krishnasamy: "Well, that depends on what the new government in Iraq is going
to be and what sort of institution is going to be set up there by the US. That would be very much determined by the US and the coalition forces in Iraq when they start rebuilding the government and the new setup that they're going to put in. And again, the extent to which the existing diplomats, what sort of line they're going to develop. As in are they going to side with the US government in the new government and make a new pledge to the new post-war Iraq situation and then you might see that they might stay on in some countries. So, again it depends on what kind of government, who are the people who are going to come into a post-governmental Iraq institution and what sort of diplomatic negotiations are going to take place between the US-built Iraqi government and diplomatic establishments all around the world."