Posted on 03/17/2003 6:41:01 AM PST by areafiftyone
France, Russia and Germany today delivered a defiant response to the 24 hour ultimatum on Iraq laid down yesterday by the US and UK.
The three countries are standing firm in their opposition to any resolution that would authorise military action against Iraq while UN weapons inspectors continue to make progress.
The French foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, today told a French radio station: "France cannot accept a resolution that sets an ultimatum and envisages an automatic use of force."
He reiterated France's threat to use its veto to block a resolution paving the way to war in the UN security council.
"The security council must be consulted," Mr de Villepin said. "We think that the United Nations is indispensable."
Breaking a long silence on Iraq, the Russian president, Vladamir Putin, dismissed last night's demand by the US president, George Bush, and the prime minister, Tony Blair, that security council members back a second UN resolution to authorise military action.
"We are for solving the problem exclusively by peaceful means. Any other development would be a mistake, fraught with the toughest consequences, leading to victims and destabilisation of the international situation as a whole," he said.
Mr Putin said Russia's position was clear, comprehensible and unwavering. His words backed up the line taken earlier by his deputy foreign minister, Yuri Fedotov, who said that the draft resolution stood "no chance" of being passed by the security council. At a summit meeting in the Azores yesterday, Mr Bush and Mr Blair were joined by Spain and Portugal in calling on the international community to disarm Iraq by force.
Telling security council members that Saddam Hussein "possesses the weapons of mass murder", the leaders gave the world one day to back a war or risk the US and UK, who have around 300,000 troops massed in the Gulf, going it alone.
"Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world. Tomorrow is the day that we can determine whether or not diplomacy will work," Mr Bush said yesterday.
With France and Russia seemingly ready to veto a second resolution, permanent security council member China today promoted Li Zhaoxing, its ambassador to the UN and the US, to the post of foreign minister.
He said that China's attitude toward military action in Iraq would remain identical on his watch as foreign minister. "We support using the framework of the United Nations to obtain a political resolution to the Iraq problem," Mr Zhaoxing said, urging people to "keep your fingers crossed for peace".
Today, the German chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, said that his country would not agree to a UN resolution legitimising war, and called on the UN to give weapons inspectors the time they needed to disarm Iraq peacefully.
Security council meets today
The UN chief weapons inspector, Hans Blix, is preparing to give the security council a 30-page report later today. It will list around a dozen key remaining disarmament tasks that Iraq should complete in the coming months.
France called for an emergency UN ministerial meeting tomorrow to set a timetable for Iraq's peaceful disarmament, ignoring the 24-hour deadline set by the US and UK at yesterday's summit.
Russia backed the French proposal, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.
"[Mr Blix's] report will touch on the further programme of the work of the international inspectors, and will indicate their key disarmament tasks," the agency quoted Mr Fedotov as saying.
"We hope it will still be possible to settle the situation on the basis of the UN security council resolutions and by means of further inspections."
Late yesterday evening, the security council scheduled closed consultations on Iraq at 10am (1500 GMT) today to discuss the resolution sponsored by the US, Britain and Spain, setting an ultimatum for Iraq to disarm within days or face war.
Washington could call for a vote but, as the resolution does not have the support of a majority of the 15 council members, and could face up to three vetoes, it may choose to abandon the resolution rather than face a vote it seems unlikely to win.
Inspectors told to quit Iraq
As the push for war continued, the US advised UN weapons inspectors to begin pulling out of Baghdad.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed El Baradei, said that the advice had been given, late last night, to both teams of inspectors, those looking for signs of nuclear weapons, and those searching for biological and chemical weapons.
"Late last night ... I was advised by the US government to pull out our inspectors from Baghdad," Mr Baradei told the IAEA's board of governors today. He said that the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, and the security council, had been informed. The council will take up the issue later today.
UN officials have said that the inspectors and support staff in Iraq, numbering around 60, could be evacuated in as little as 48 hours.
No one has yet given the order for inspectors and staff to begin pulling out. Mr Blix said that he planned to present a proposal to the security council tomorrow that would extend the inspections regime by several months.
When asked by reporters at the UN whether inspectors would continue their work today, Mr Blix said: "Yes, unless we call them back."
Emergency cabinet meeting this afternoon
Tony Blair today called an emergency cabinet meeting for 4pm, to be followed by a Commons statement by the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, tonight at 7pm.
The cabinet meeting could see the resignation of ministers opposed to a war in Iraq, particularly a conflict without UN backing. Among those believed to be minded to resign is the leader of the Commons, Robin Cook.
The moves come as MPs waited to hear whether there will be a debate and vote on military action against Iraq tomorrow.
The attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, will later today set out the legal case for war in Iraq, meant to counter arguments that any invasion without the specific UN sanction of a second resolution would be in breach of international law.
Blair calls emergency cabinet meeting
Civilians and diplomats told to leave Gulf
The Foreign Office has urged any remaining British nationals in Kuwait and Israel to leave as soon as possible, and has withdrawn non-essential diplomatic staff and dependants.
It warned that both countries were at risk of an Iraqi attack in the event of conflict breaking out. "This might involve chemical and biological weapons," the FO said.
It also warned of the increased danger of terrorist attacks, which could "involve the use of chemical and biological materials", in Kuwait, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Germany today closed its embassy in Baghdad and its charge d'affaires left Iraq for Jordan, the German foreign ministry said. Yesterday, Germany advised its citizens to leave Iraq immediately.
Last night, the US State Department ordered non-essential personnel and all family members to leave Israel, Kuwait and Syria.
Britons advised to leave Kuwait
If France believes that crimminal body [the UN] to be indispensable, then why are they doing their utmost to destroy it?
The first step in the inspection process under 1441 was to be a complete and truthful disclosure of WMD assests and programs by Iraq. Blix has already admitted, and UNSC members have already conceded, that the 7 Dec disclosure by Iraq was neither. From that point on an attack on Iraq has been fully legal and justified.
But I don't think that will happen.
Pulled the inspectors on out. If Chirac, Schroeder and Putin want inspections to continue, send them over immediately. Let them do the inspecting.
Then get ready to watch us work!
You're right, it's way too late in the game for them to pull that 180. I only hope W has the nads to completely cut them out of the post-battle deals.
History will record that Saddam's most effective "army" in this war was not his Iraqi regulars or conscripts, but the invisible leftist world-spirit that inspires and animates the pro-UN polyglot internationalists including Chirac, Putin, Schroeder, the Greens, and even their contrarian isolationist brethren, the paleo-conservatives and libertarians.
This vile alliance has successfully delayed this necessary war for over twelve years while pretending to peace. The whole foul episode is reminiscent of Daniel 10:13.
Let's Roll!
Unreal.
I agree. I have a question, one whose implications I do like at all. I've been hearing some commentators say that this could render the UN essentially a debating society, or at most, an organization that helps manage peace. We may fight the war, but will go to the UN to help afterwards with the peace. If that is so, and I think it may be, then who benefits from the Russian/French/German/CHINESE hard line? This view of the UN looks suspiciously like the role that Clinton tried to force our military into for 8 years--peace keepers.
Could Clinton be working behind the scenes to encourage this defiance? He's known to have his eye on the SG. This would be nudging the UN into the type of role with which Clinton feels most comfortable. Not a comforting thought...
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