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France, Russia and Germany reject 24 hour ultimatum
Guardian Unlimited ^ | 3/17/03

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


TOPICS: Breaking News
KEYWORDS: ultimatum
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To: ewing
FYI..read Safire's column in today's NYTimes..
41 posted on 03/17/2003 7:24:53 AM PST by ken5050
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To: areafiftyone
While we take for granted Britain's role as a reliable ally of the United States, we must not overlook the remarkable support that Spain (no stranger to terrorism) has provided us at this moment. Hats off to Spanish Prime Minister Aznar for standing behind us. Contrast that to France's and Germany's cluck-cluck, running-scared attitude.
42 posted on 03/17/2003 7:26:29 AM PST by Ebenezer (Remember the Constitution!)
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To: twigs
He's known to have his eye on the SG

Unless he renounces his citizenship, this is a legal impossibility.

43 posted on 03/17/2003 7:28:18 AM PST by cardinal4 (The Senate Armed Services Comm; the Chinese pipeline into US secrets)
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To: cardinal4
No it's not. It's a tradition that citizens of the SC do not get that position, but if you read the by-laws, there is absolutely nothing that prevents that from happening.
44 posted on 03/17/2003 7:30:04 AM PST by twigs
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To: twigs
I would like to see that myself, not that I dont believe you, but my blood just went cold......
45 posted on 03/17/2003 7:31:53 AM PST by cardinal4 (The Senate Armed Services Comm; the Chinese pipeline into US secrets)
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To: areafiftyone
"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."

Hans your next inspection regime will be in France. I assure you you will remain popular there.

46 posted on 03/17/2003 7:35:32 AM PST by Mister Baredog ((God Bless GW Bush))
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To: cardinal4
It's been posted many times on FR. I'll have to look for it.
47 posted on 03/17/2003 7:36:23 AM PST by twigs
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To: Scott from the Left Coast
Axis and ultimatums...why does that sound familiar?
48 posted on 03/17/2003 7:48:27 AM PST by Destro (Fight Islamic terrorisim by visiting www.johnathangaltfilms.com)
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To: elmer fudd
The Russians are such hypocrites! Their war in Chechnya is evidence enough.

The same for the Chinese. They sure didn't give peace and negotiations a chance when it came to dealing with unarmed students at Tiananmen Square back in 1989.
49 posted on 03/17/2003 8:02:02 AM PST by Ebenezer (Remember the Constitution!)
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To: cardinal4
Charter of the United Nations
CHAPTER XV
THE SECRETARIAT
Article 97

The Secretariat shall comprise a Secretary-General and such staff as the Organization may require. The Secretary-General shall be appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. He shall be the chief administrative officer of the Organization.

http://www.un.org/Overview/Charter/chapte15.html

I thought I had read a few more details, but I don't see them; however, they don't change the substance of what's here.

We should all be concerned, IMHO.


50 posted on 03/17/2003 8:11:03 AM PST by twigs
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To: Gritty
Agreed. France, Germany and Russia -- along with the U.N. Security Council -- are now irrelevant to the liberation of Iraq.
51 posted on 03/17/2003 8:13:51 AM PST by glennaro
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To: twigs
If nothing else, the fact that HC is a sitting US senator and possible pres candidate, would be in direct violation of the spirit if not the the letter of Article 100:


Article 100
1. In the performance of their duties the Secretary-General and the staff shall not seek or receive instructions from any government or from any other authority external to the Organization. They shall refrain from any action which might reflect on their position as international officials responsible only to the Organization.
52 posted on 03/17/2003 8:17:19 AM PST by LandOfTheFreeHomeOfTheBrave
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To: LandOfTheFreeHomeOfTheBrave
I agree with your assessment. However, I have never known the letter, much less the spirit, of any law that stood in the way of their goals to stop them.
53 posted on 03/17/2003 8:44:43 AM PST by twigs
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To: areafiftyone
Yes, but the US, UK, Spain and Portugal reject the French/German/Russian rejection.

So there.

54 posted on 03/17/2003 8:47:47 AM PST by Smedley
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To: areafiftyone
Ultimatum shmultimatum, they are the ones sending ultimatums while we are simply doing our jobs.
55 posted on 03/17/2003 9:16:18 AM PST by lavaroise
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To: singsong
Profits my eye. The Russians are as opposed to our power and influence in the world as the French are, perhaps more so. Putin is continuing to help give Iran nuclear weapons. He is not remotely our friend and never has been. He sows trouble across our path to keep us busy, flaks to keep us from cleaning it up too rapidly, and then expects us to ignore all of it if he occasionally says something nasty about Muslims. All his actions are important and hostile, all his support is mere words and meaningless.
56 posted on 03/17/2003 9:37:54 AM PST by JasonC
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To: areafiftyone
I knew we would never get along with Russia too long. Putin is no better than Chiraq. I predict they will align themselves with France, Germany, and China against everything we try to do from now on in the war against terrorism.

However, we will have new allies from East Europe. Forgive me, but I really want revenge and retribution against all these countries who have made our job impossible in disarming Saddam. No future Iraqi contracts for them PLEASE.

57 posted on 03/17/2003 9:42:08 AM PST by LaGrone
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To: areafiftyone
Russian Foreign Minister Ivanov is now saying 1441 does NOT authorize force.

For Russian readers:

http://www.grani.ru/Politics/World/Iraq/m.26171.html


58 posted on 03/17/2003 10:39:18 AM PST by prokhanov
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To: areafiftyone
Excuse me, I have to go take a France and wipe my Russia with Turkey.
59 posted on 03/17/2003 11:18:25 AM PST by LaGrone
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To: areafiftyone
My contribution to the effort......."caution foul language"


http://www.insults.net/html/swear/french.html



Stay Safe !
60 posted on 03/17/2003 11:22:33 AM PST by Squantos (Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt.)
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