Posted on 03/10/2003 11:43:28 AM PST by PhilipFreneau
In the strongest sign yet that international support for the United States' policy of confrontation with Iraq is wavering, three key U.S. allies - Russia, France and Egypt - refused Thursday to vote for a U.N. Security Council resolution condemning the Persian Gulf nation.
The desertion of three members of the 1991 Persian Gulf War coalition came on a resolution criticizing Iraq for refusing to cooperate fully with U.N. weapons inspectors in charge of dismantling Iraqi chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs.
The measure, sponsored by the United States and Britain, passed by a vote of 10-0, with five abstentions. China and Kenya joined Russia, France and Egypt in declining to back the resolution, which threatens to slap more sanctions on the Iraqi government in April unless it improves its cooperation with the weapons inspection team.
Russia, France or China, as permanent members of the Security Council, could have vetoed the measure; by abstaining, they let the proposal pass while registering their objections.
The abstentions came despite last-minute U.S. concessions on the wording of the text and an intense lobbying campaign that included personal appeals by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny M. Primakov and French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine.
Critics called the measure a disproportionately harsh response to Iraq's latest transgressions and one that failed to credit the country for those instances in which it did cooperate with the weapons inspectors.
(Excerpt) Read more at -tech.mit.edu ...
"But U.S. and British diplomats have bitterly complained that the real motivation for the Russian and French support for Iraq is a desire to cash in on contracts for oil and gas exploration when the sanctions eventually are lifted."
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