Posted on 03/17/2003 11:54:09 AM PST by areafiftyone
(Combines comments by Putin, Ivanov)
By Viktor Korotayev
MOSCOW, March 17 (Reuters) - Russia called for last-minute attempts to solve the Iraq crisis peacefully on Monday, saying any resort to force would be both a mistake and illegal.
Russia has aligned itself with France and Germany in calling for further U.N. arms inspections to ensure that Iraq is free of what the United States says are illegal weapons. Like France, a fellow permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, it has threatened to veto any new resolution endorsing military action.
President Vladimir Putin, speaking before the United States and Britain said they would no longer seek a vote for a new resolution endorsing force, said any approach other than peaceful disarmament would be a mistake.
"We would like to resolve it through political and diplomatic means," he told reporters. "I am convinced that any other solution would be a mistake."
Putin, who has made infrequent statements at home on the crisis, said war "will not only bring about human casualties but also destabilise the international community in general.
"There are 20 million Muslims living in Russia. We cannot afford not to consider their opinion and we fully share their alarm," he added.
Both Washington and Britain say military action now against Iraq would be legal.
But Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking after the abandonment of Washington's bid to seek U.N. endorsement for war, said existing U.N. Security Council resolutions gave no one any legal right to launch a strike on Iraq.
"We believe the use of force against Iraq, especially with reference to previous resolutions of the U.N. Security Council, has no grounds, including legal grounds," Ivanov told reporters.
NO ENDORSEMENT FROM CURRENT RESOLUTION
Ivanov said resolution 1441 of last November, under which U.N. weapons inspections were resumed, gave no endorsement.
"Resolution 1441, to which so many references are made, does not give anyone the right to use force automatically," he said.
That resolution, approved unanimously, spoke of "serious consequences" if Iraq failed to comply with demands to disarm.
Ivanov said the resolution contained a clause obliging Security Council members, if necessary, to meet immediately to ensure Iraq's strict implementation of its terms.
There was still a chance, he said, for diplomacy to succeed.
The Foreign Ministry said no decision had been made on whether Ivanov would fly to New York to press an 11th hour case. France, Germany and Russia called at the weekend for a Tuesday meeting of ministers of Security Council members.
Georgy Mamedov, a deputy foreign minister, said Russia would do its best to minimise differences with Washington.
"Russia will not launch an anti-American campaign, but will try its utmost to return the situation to a proper legal basis," Mamedov was quoted as telling Itar-Tass news agency.
"We will not gloat over a tragic mistake by the United States or start a noisy campaign. Our relations are too important for international peace to hold them hostage to differences over the Iraq problem."
Makes more sense than the headline. There is a difference between illegal and no legal grounds. There is no law in these matters aside from treaties, and our own Constitution.
bump
But thety don't mind your war in Chechnya, right? The Russians can go to hell and keep the French company.
1.3. Basic destabilizing factors of the military-political situation:
diminished effectiveness of existing machinery for ensuring international security, above all the United Nations and OSCE;
the practice of applying military force in circumvention of generally recognized principles and rules of international law without UN Security Council sanction;
Flamefront ... given Kissinger's warning that we should not forget the betrayal of our allies, I'm wondering what exactly will be the nature of future relations with the former Soviets should they take a page from Hank. Should be interesting. Thanks for the flag.
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