Deadline for Iraq could slide

upi ^ | 3/11/03

[knak]

WASHINGTON, March 11 (UPI) -- White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer said Tuesday that diplomatic discussions at the United Nations Security Council might postpone the March 17 deadline for Saddam Hussein to disarm, but he said the 45-day proposal of six undecided nations was a "nonstarter."

Fleischer said President George W. Bush continued calls Tuesday to gather support for a new U.N. resolution to compel Iraq to give up its weapons of mass destruction and abide by Resolution 1441 passed last fall.

He said Bush had a good discussion with the prime minister of Angola, one of six rotating nations on the Security Council this month that has said it is undecided about the March 17 deadline.

Last week, the United States and Britain proposed a new U.N. resolution that set March 17, Monday, as the final deadline for Iraq to disarm. The proposal met enormous resistance on the Security Council and late Monday the U.S. acknowledged that it could not get a majority of the members to back it. At the same time, both Russia and France said they would veto the measure even if it won support of other members.

Fleischer said that despite the threat of a veto, the other members have a right to vote and take a position. He predicted that the U.S. would lead a large coalition of nations if an attack on Iraq becomes necessary.

On Tuesday, the six undecided nations, Angola, Chile, Cameroon, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan, proposed a 45-day extension that would take the pressure off Saddam for more than a month. Fleischer said any delay as long as 30 or 45 days would be a "non-starter" with the Bush administration. The six nations are the swing votes between the two sides.

But he acknowledged that there are discussions to amend the U.S-U.K. resolution that could extend the deadline past March 17. He declined to speculate how long Iraq has, but said time is short.

[mhking]

GlobalSecurity.org Countdown Clock:

T-minus 6 Days, 3 Hours and counting...

[ReaganRevolution]

This is really getting silly. Why demand a date of March 17, talk about it as a deadline and then start moving it around? If they weren't going to be firm about it, it should have never become public, we are looking weak. Call for a vote! The President wanted a vote "soon", but we keep delaying, delaying, delaying.

[dennisw]

Turkey has delayed us but we will still end up moving men and equipement though it. My date is March 27th.

[RobRoy]

It's beginning to look like Bush never really expected to have to go in.

Then again, at this point that may be what he wants everyone to think, especially Saddam.

[ReaganRevolution]

. He declined to speculate how long Iraq has, but said time is short.

comical

[kesg]

But he acknowledged that there are discussions to amend the U.S-U.K. resolution that could extend the deadline past March 17. He declined to speculate how long Iraq has, but said time is short.

A few days is okay, especially if the additional time helps our military. Anything beyond a few days is unacceptable.

[ReaganRevolution]

I've thought of that too, about not really believing we'd have to go in. It's all so puzzling.

[RightWhale]

My date is March 27th

Try to keep in shadows and lay low during daylight hours. Otherwise one person alone has little chance of success.

[Sunnyvale CA Eng.]

"...might postpone the March 17 deadline..."

B.S., ARI is floating a "trial baloon" or testing the idea out for public response. Just what the Clintons did all of the time. Its a done deal - nothing will happen on the 17th or the 27th or next month or until July when we start bringing home troops and hardware while GW stares at his shoes in shame. The UN/Saddam team is winning.

[vbmoneyspender]

Q. Yes, sir, how soon are you expecting the resolution from the United Nations? In a week, month, days?

THE PRESIDENT: As soon as possible.

Q And how -- what kind of deadline would you perceive within that resolution?

THE PRESIDENT: Well, there will be deadlines within the resolution. Our chief negotiator for the United States, our Secretary of State, understands that we must have deadlines. And we're talking days and weeks, not months and years. And that's essential for the security of the world. This man has had 11 years to comply. For 11 long years, he's ignored world opinion. And he's put the credibility of the United Nations on line.

September 12, 2002 Whitehouse Press Briefing

[Peach]

If the administration hadn't been saying "last chance" for several months, and they were talking "weeks, not months", I'd give them a pass. Unfortunately, I can't.

[ReaganRevolution]

You're exactly right Peach. I always took the President at his word, but it's been a bad couple of months. It's not looking good at all.

[ARCADIA]

Every minute we delay means at least one less vote for this president. This administration is doing its best to make the US into a laughing stock. I hope this is either disinformation, or a weak gag.

[rwfromkansas]

Any later than that and Bush lied when he said "weeks, not months."

[vbmoneyspender]

He said weeks, not months in September of last year.

[dirtboy]

You're exactly right Peach. I always took the President at his word, but it's been a bad couple of months. It's not looking good at all.

Stop and think for a moment - why would Bush have set the current deadline around the full moon if he intended to attack the next day? IMO, the answer is he intended to allow about ten more days as a final negotiating chip, so we'll invade close to the next new moon and still have enough time to wrap up the primary objectives of the campaign before the weather gets too hot.

[goldstategop]

We can wait a few days if necessary to line up votes; its not the end of the world. I think Ari meant that we wouldn't agree to anything like the Canadian proposal which is basically a means for Saddam to stall for more time and secondly we can't afford to keep an army that large tethered off Iraq for months at a time. You know before troop morale and battle readiness start dwindling. So this is it and if Saddam doesn't have a deathbed conversion by the 17th, the bullets will start flying. And for Gulf War buffs: we hit Iraq on February 17, 1991 so there's a bit of piquant irony in the date. The Mother Of All Battles is about to be joined soon.