Powell presents tape recordings, photos to persuade council Iraq thwarting UN (UPDATE)

UNITED NATIONS - US Secretary of State Colin Powell, making his case that Iraq had defied all demands that it disarm, presented tape recordings, satellite photos and statements from informants Wednesday that he said was "irrefutable and undeniable" evidence that Saddam Hussein is concealing weapons of mass destruction.

"Clearly, Saddam will stop at nothing until something s1tops him," Powell told a skeptical UN Security Council, saying Baghdad's denials constitute a "web of lies."

Three months after Iraq pledged that it would disarm, Powell presented his evidence in an appearance that was televised live around the world. The Council members - joined by Iraq's UN ambassador - sat around a large circular council table with Powell and listened attentively.

Of the 15 Council members, only the United States and Britain have voiced support for forcibly disarming Saddam.

Tang Jiaxuan, China's foreign minister, said immediately after Powell's presentation that the work of the weapons inspectors should continue. "As long as there is still the slightest hope for political settlement, we should exert our utmost effort to achieve that," he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov agreed. While saying he had listened closely to Powell's presentation, he said he believed more study and analysis was needed of the new evidence presented by the United States. Meanwhile, inspections "must be continued," he said.

Coming to Powell's defense, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said the secretary made a "most powerful" case. Saddam is "gambling that we will lose our nerve rather than enforce our will," Straw said.

In a more than hour-long presentation, Powell also detailed the US claims that Baghdad and al-Qaida operatives are working together and that some followers of a senior lieutenant of Osama bin Laden are currently in the Iraqi capital, with the approval of Saddam.

Saddam, in an interview broadcast Tuesday in London, denied his government has a relationship with the al-Qaida or has weapons of mass destruction. He said it would be impossible to hide such arms.

Asserted that Iraq "bulldozed and graded to conceal chemical weapons evidence" at the Al Musayyib chemical complex in 2002, and had a series of cargo vehicles and a decontamination vehicle moving around at the site. Powell said that was corroborated by a human source.

Played an audio tape for the UN Security Council Wednesday between Iraqi military officers purportedly discussing hiding prohibited vehicles form weapons i1nspectors. He said the tape was an intercepted conversation between officers in Saddam's Republican Guard. The voices were discussing a modified vehicle one of them had that was made by an Iraqi company, which Powell said was a weapons manufacturer.

"We have this modified vehicle," one of them said as the two discussed a pending visit by a UN weapons inspector.

Cited informants as saying that Iraqis are dispersing rockets armed with biological weapons in western Iraq.

Presented declassified satellite pictures that he said were 15 munitions bunkers. Powell said four of them had active chemical munitions inside.

Said Iraqi informants claim that Iraq has 18 trucks that it uses as mobile biological weapons labs.

Played a tape-recording of an intercepted conversation between two commanders in the Republican Guard. Powell said they discussed removing a reference to nerve agents from written instructions. Powell presented his case in a rapid-fire delivery, moving from tape recordings to photos and other evidence without pause.

He said his case was persuasive that Iraq is hiding its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and missile activity and was deliberately misleading inspectors. "I believe this conclusion is irrefutable and undeniable," he said.

"The issue before us is not how much time we are willing to give the inspectors to be frustrated by Iraqi obstruction, but how much longer are we willing to put up with Iraq's noncompliance before we as a Council, we as the United Nations say: `Enough. Enough.' "

Most US allies, including France and Germany, want more time for UN weapons inspectors to do their work in Iraq. But Bush and his top national security aides have said repeatedly that the United States - with or without its allies - will forcibly disarm Iraq if it does not immediately comply with UN resolutions requiring it to rid itself of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons.

Five members of the council hold veto power: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.

As he opened his presentation, Powell reminded the Council that it had voted unanimously last Nov. 8 for a resolution - UN Resolution 1441 - that "gave Iraq one last chance to come into compliance or to face serious consequences."

"No Council member present...had any illusion...what serious consequences meant," he said.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer, a skeptic on any military action against Iraq, said on German television ZDF, hours earlier, that the goals of UN Resolution 1441 could be achieved without military action if the weapons inspectors are given more time.

I think any country has the right to have arms as a matter of defense.

I do not think any country has the right to those same arms if they are being amassed for an attack on our country.

Being a part of the WW II generation, I was so upset that there was no conclusion of the Korean War.

I was dumbfounded that we didn't win the Viet Nam war.

I was really angry when Bush Sr didn't finish the job in Iraq.

Now we have a chance at "overs" with Iraq and North Korea - to right the wrongs of the past and to protect the safety of this country.

I believe Powell and President Bush in what they are saying.

I support them 100%.

I hope they blow Iraq and North Korea off the face of the earth.

And I pray that God will send an Angel of Protection over each of our military men and women. I cry in advance just thinking about the sacrifices they will make. I cry for their families.

Clearly he wasn't listening very closely, or maybe something was lost in the translation to ChiCom. Clearly Powell was saying that there is not the slightest hope for a political settlement.

IMHO, the answer to that is, as far as 3 of the 5 permanent members of the council and most or all of the non-permanent ones is "'til Hell Freezes Over", or maybe "until millions of Americans, British, Australians and others are dead from Saddam's germs and chemicals."

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