Annan appeals for Security Council unity, peaceful resolution to Iraq crisis

United Nations News Service ^ | 10/11/03

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Kofi Annan

10 March-United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appealed for a peaceful solution to ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, stressing that war must "always be a last resort" and that the UN has "a duty to search till the very end for the peaceful resolution of conflicts."

Speaking at a news conference in The Hague, where he held talks on the situation in Cyprus, Mr. Annan said: "The members of the Security Council now face a great choice. If they fail to agree on a common position, and action is taken without the authority of the Security Council, the legitimacy and support of any such action will be seriously impaired."

Asked specifically whether an attack on Iraq without Council authorization would violate the UN charter, Mr. Annan said: "If the US and others were to go outside the Council and take military action, it would not be in conformity with the Charter."

The United States, United Kingdom and Spain have introduced a draft resolution that presents Iraq with a 17 March deadline to cooperate fully with disarmament demands. France, Germany the Russian Federation and other Council members have voiced opposition to action at this time and seek continued and enhanced weapons inspections.

In a statement at the start of his news conference, Mr. Annan stressed that the entire international community needed to act together to curb the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. "The determination of the Security Council to disarm Iraq of such weapons is the most urgent issue - because Iraq has actually used such weapons in the past, and because it has twice committed aggression against its neighbours," he said. "That is why the Security Council, ever since 1991, has passed successive resolutions requiring Iraq to disarm. On this critical question, there are no divisions, no grounds for doubt, dispute or delay.

"All around the globe, people want to see this crisis resolved peacefully. There is widespread concern about the long-term consequences of war in Iraq for the fight against terrorism; for the Middle East peace process; and for the world's ability to address common concerns in the future if deep divisions are sowed today between nations and between peoples of different religion."

Mr. Annan referred to human suffering, regional instability and economic crisis that could spring from war and said that if Security Council members "can come together, even at this late hour, to address this threat in a united manner and ensure compliance with their previous resolutions, then the Council's authority will be enhanced, and the world will be a safer place.

"The broader the consensus on Iraq, the better the chance that we can come together again and deal effectively with other burning conflicts in the world, starting with the one between Israelis and Palestinians."

In Iraq, meanwhile, UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) teams supervised the destruction of six more banned Al Samoud 2 missiles today, bringing the number to 52 since the 1 March deadline set by UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix for starting the process.

They also supervised the destruction of three warheads, bringing the total to 19 since 1 March, eliminated all the computer software used for launching the missiles in a command and control vehicle, and started destroying materials related to the Al Samoud at the Waziriyah plant, 10 kilometres north of Baghdad.

UNMOVIC also conducted a private interview with an Iraqi individual, who had taken part in the unilateral destruction of precursors for chemical weapons production.

UNMOVIC biological teams supervised further excavations at Al Aziziyah of R-400 bombs, which Iraq has said were filled with biological agents and unilaterally destroyed in 1991, and inspected a branch of the Mesopotamia State Company for Seed Handling. A chemical team inspected the State Company for Leather Industry.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) teams reviewed the status of radioactive waste remaining in a waste storage site at Al Tuwaitha, 25 kilometres south of Baghdad, and performed a car-borne radiation survey there.

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Asked specifically whether an attack on Iraq without Council authorization would violate the UN charter, Mr. Annan said: "If the US and others were to go outside the Council and take military action, it would not be in conformity with the Charter."

Since when has the United States been subject to the United Nations, charter?

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Charter of The United Nations

[over3Owithabrain]

Bush will NOT act without the UN - despite his unkept promises. He is caving and selling out.

[Semper Paratus]

I want to 'Table' a motion condemming the unilateral French intervention in the sovereign nation of The Ivory Coast.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Article 110.

[DontMessWithMyCountry]

Kofi---get out of our country. Now. Get the h-e-double-hockeysticks OUT of our country. And take your smelly despotic friends with you. France is calling you--go, go to your lover.

[Fitzcarraldo]

Asked specifically whether an attack on Iraq without Council authorization would violate the UN charter, Mr. Annan said: "If the US and others were to go outside the Council and take military action, it would not be in conformity with the Charter."

If the UN finds the US in clear violation of basic tenets of the charter, then the idea of a UN military force opposing the United States in Iraq has to be considered.

For this to work, however, we'd have to be expelled from the security council. What does the Charter say about that?

[Think free or die]

""The broader the consensus on Iraq, the better the chance that we can come together again and deal effectively with other burning conflicts in the world, starting with the one between Israelis and Palestinians.""

Uh oh. I can just imagine how this gang of UN ruffians might like to "solve" the burning conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians.

[labowski]

Koffi has no problem saying that if the U.S. acts without security council permission we would be violating international law, but he just can't bring himself to find Iraq in violation of anything.

And another thing, I was listening to talk of the United States being the only super power and we have this responsibility and that responsibility and we killed the Kyoto Treaty and all this other b.s., but what did the Soviet Union ever do for anybody when they were a super power???? Did the Soviet Union feed the world, loan (give) money to third world nations???? How many times did the Soviet Union send relief for disasters in various parts of the world. Why did the Soviet Union have Three votes to our one in the beginning of the UN??? I agree with Sandy Berger though, kick France off the security council and give the seat to the European Union. Feh...........

[geedee]

Hey, Kofi . . .

[apillar]

"Bush will NOT act without the UN - despite his unkept promises. He is caving and selling out."

I haven't quite come to that conclusion yet, but i'm starting to wonder what's going on myself. Give me another week and I might come to the same conlusion.

In less than a week we've gone from, "the 17th is the absolute deadline with or without the UN (in a speech to the American people, no less)." to "maybe we can establish a timetable of disarmament goals (admittedly not by Bush, but he hasn't thus far denied it either)."

I'll tell you what will happen if the UN sets up a timetable of disarmament goals, Sadam will meet about 10% of the goal, we will say he failed to meet the goal, but France, Germany, and Russia will say that it wasn't a "material breach" and we need to give the timetable a chance. We will be right back to where we are today, having wasted another couple months.

I think (I hope at least) that all this talk of timetable's is just, "We tried everything to avert war.." political cover for Tony Blaire, who has really put his neck on the line for us at home. But, there has to come a time where we have to say to even loyal allies like Blaire that enough is enough and the time for debating is over.

[goldstategop]

Nothing in the UN's Charter says we need Kofi Annan's permission to defend ourselves.

[over3Owithabrain]

My problem is Bush has repeatedly misled the American people on this. "Game over" in early Februrary led to another resolution, which is going to be reworked yet again. Weeks are becoming months. "Will act without the UN if necessary" was a bluff that got called. He has allowed the world to galvanize against us, and can't even be loyal to his base.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

But the world news seems to currently have this perception.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Being separated from loved ones in our armed forces due to war and conflict is one thing dependent wives learn to live with-AND MUST. But sitting and waiting due to politics and NATO's calls and not our Commander_In_Chief's, is very frustrating and dangerous to our countries constitution.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Then why are we all signed up with the U.N.'s and their World Heritage garbage currently in our own back yards.

[over3Owithabrain]

When we are reduced to our President telemarketing to the likes of Cameroon and Angola to clear the way to take military action, we're screwed. I'm so sorry for our troops who I know are fighting for love of country - and yet Bush and Powell wanted to be led by the UN. Disgusting and shameful.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Very well said, exactly.