The UN has failed. It's time.
Regards, Ivan
Posted on 10/03/2002 12:46:25 PM PDT by MadIvan
The UN chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, has said "loose ends" must be sorted out with Iraq before arms inspections resume.
Mr Blix was speaking after briefing the UN Security Council on his talks with Iraqi officials in Vienna on Tuesday.
"There are minor matters and some loose ends that need to be solved before we go to Baghdad," he said.
The United States and Britain want a robust new UN resolution carrying a clear threat of military action if Iraq fails to meet its obligations.
Mr Blix said the inspectors might delay their return to Iraq pending new instructions from the Security Council .
"It would be awkward if we were doing inspections and a new mandate were to arrive," he said.
He had earlier intended to send some advance teams to Iraq in about two weeks' time.
'Loose ends'
Mr Blix told the Security Council that the outstanding issues concerned
China, France and Russia want to get the inspections started as soon as possible and have resisted the US and British drive for a tough new UN resolution.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov said on Thursday that Moscow opposed any mention in the draft resolution of the automatic use of force should Iraq fail to comply completely with weapons inspectors.
US draft resolution
But the US draft resolution would give UN inspectors broad new powers to hunt for weapons of mass destruction and provide them with military backing if Iraq obstructed their work.
The United States wants to delay the inspections not just until the new resolution is passed, but for a month beyond that, until Iraq has made a full declaration of all its weapons.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell said "we must find a way forward, if the Security Council will retain its relevance".
But he stressed that "we have to disarm Iraq, and the president is quite willing to do whatever is necessary to bring that about".
Mr Blix is expected to meet US Government officials in Washington on Friday.
Shooting incident
During the briefing a man jumped over a security fence at the UN headquarters and opened fire towards the building. There were no reports of injuries.
Witnesses said the man fired five times, hitting UN headquarters at the 18th and 20th floors, before he put the gun down, scattered some leaflets and waited to be arrested by UN security guards.
'Clear message'
The UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, told the BBC on Thursday that the existing weapons inspections regime had not been tough enough to get the job done.
"The harder the international community is at the moment, the clearer the message we send, the greater the likelihood there is of avoiding conflict," he said.
Mr Blair insisted that toppling Saddam Hussein was not his aim, but said such a result would be "fantastic... not least for the Iraqi people".
Instead, he said that the aim was to disarm the Iraqi leader of his weapons of mass destruction.
The UN has failed. It's time.
Regards, Ivan
Yeah, like a few hundred truckloads of chemical and biological agents that need to be transported to the "Palaces" first, so no one will find them.
The 57 palaces are definitely the first to go.
Regards, Ivan
What part of "inspections aren't going to work" escaped you?
Take out Saddam immediately before the price in blood gets any higher.
Regards, Ivan
I AM PROUD OF MY BEER MUG!
Mr. Blix is going to be told to BUT OUT!!!!
The UN route has been exhausted. It is time. Enough already.
Regards, Ivan
To recap:
* inspectors' access to President Saddam Hussein's palaces
* assurances that Iraqi officials would not hamper inspectors' attempts to interview individuals inside Iraq
* Iraq's failure to give firm assurances about the safety of UN inspectors while they fly around the country.
LOL! IIRC, these are the very same "loose ends" that caused the withdrawal of inspectors, and the insertion of U.S and British explosives, back in 1998.
Saddam's actually played the U.N. pretty well on this. Fortunately, the boys at the WH are keeping their eye on the real prize.
Let's roll.
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Til Death Do Us Part."
If you wish to type nonsense, there are a number of websites we can recommend you to, and you to them. Do the initials "du" mean anything to you?
Congressman Billybob
Click for "Til Death Do Us Part."
Regards, Ivan
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