One Vote Away From 2nd Resolution

CNN | Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Posted: 9:42 AM EST (1442 GMT)

[maquiladora]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration believes that it is one vote shy of having nine of 15 votes needed on a U.N. Security Council resolution that sets a Monday deadline for Iraqi compliance, a senior U.S. State Department official said, and officials are focusing diplomatic energies on Mexico and Chile.

President Bush has spent much of the last week on the telephone, lobbying council members to support the resolution.

"Bush and [British Prime Minister Tony] Blair are attempting to do whatever it takes to get the Latins to commit," the official told CNN's Andrea Koppel.

Blair told members of the House of Commons on Wednesday that the council was considering a series of benchmarks that Iraq would have to meet to prove it was disarming -- a step that Chile and Mexico previously suggested.

The State Department official also said the United States is confident it has the support of the three African members of the Security Council -- Cameroon, Guinea and Angola -- despite a visit this week by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin to secure their opposition to the resolution.

In addition, U.S. and Pakistani officials said Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf can be counted on for his support when a vote happens this week.

That leaves Mexico and Chile as holdouts, the State Department official said. To secure these votes, the United States, Great Britain and Spain have teamed up to work all the angles. On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell held a three-way conference call with his allied counterparts as they coordinated strategies.

Nevertheless, Russia and France have threatened to veto the resolution. Nine council votes are needed to pass the resolution, but a veto by any of the five permanent members would defeat it. Britain, France, Russia, China and the United States are permanent members.

[Chemist_Geek]

From Web Elements...

Uses

The following uses for beryllium are gathered from a number of sources as well as from anecdotal comments. I'd be delighted to receive corrections as well as additional referenced uses (please use the feedback mechanism to add uses).

* X-ray windows (berllium transmits X-rays 17 times better than aluminium

* as a 2% alloy with nickel for springs, electrodes and nonsparking tools

* berllium (2%) alloyed with copper gives a hard strong alloy with high resistance to wear used in gyroscopes, computer parts, and instruments (desirable lightness, stiffness)

* alloys are used as a structural material for high performance aircraft, missiles, spacecraft (such as the USA space shuttle), and communication satellites.

* ceramics

* as a moderator in nuclear reactions since it is a highly effective moderator and reflector for neutrons

* the oxide is used in the nuclear industry

[foreshadowed at waco]

I remember when PM Koizumi visited the WH shorly after GW was elected...seem to remember that he is a big fan of Westerns and our president gave him a signed Clint Eastwood poster which he loved...IMHO if we can get Japan to work alongside us on Iraq then it will be North Korea next...Japan sure has a vested interest in a nuclear free North Korea!

[WOSG]

RIght.... Blair is now playing into the hands of the wimps... I saw Blair in early Feb on TV on that BBC show where poor Blair was accosted by a roomful of belligerent Liberals against the war, raising all sorts of false arguments against it. Blair held his own. But when a room-temperature IQ liberal was explaining "Why do we have to go to war? im not sure why all these countreis are against us." and Blair asked would she be supportive if there was a UN resolution on it and she said "yeah, i'd feel much better" ...

This inanity is why we are over this barrel, so uninformed liberal housewives in Bristol can feel more confident that UK is doing the right thing!! NO matter the reality on the ground. gack!!

[Robert_Paulson2]

Or perhaps a humiliating posture of subservience to the would-be destroyers of our national sovereignty... the UN...

---

Mr. President, TEAR DOWN THAT WALL around our national sovereignty. . .

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for sharing. That's disgusting! So he gives into the wishy washy liberals! UGH!

[Post Toasties]

If so, then it would clearly be France's fault. Actually, I don't see this causing the demise of the UN by itself, although it would tarnish its reputation, if that's still possible - something that maybe the US can take advantage of in a post-Saddam Iraq, especially if substantial WMD are uncovered.

[Post Toasties]

I'd work much harder to get Chile on board than Mexico, if it was up to me.

[Mihalis]

George W.'s strategy of seeking UN and old Europe's approval has not worked. He should have focused instead on the support from the countries of "new" Europe, those countries that recently joined NATO and the EU. We do have, in fact, the support of most European countries and we should have played up this strength instead of focusing on the French and the German.

Having said that, I know he's turning out to be one of the truly great Presidents. His sincerity, conviction and strength of character are unparalleled.

Now we'll do what we have to do. We'll go in regardless because we can't defer our security to krauts and frogs.