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New York, Feb 5 2003 7:00PM
After United States Secretary of State Colin Powell presented to
the Security Council US evidence of Iraq's failure to destroy
illicit weapons, several members of the Council voiced their strong
support for the continuation of United Nations inspections and urged
Baghdad to cooperate proactively in the process.
"Why go to war if there still exists an unused space in
resolution 1441?" Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin of
France said, referring to the Council's text adopted last November
authorizing the resumption of UN inspections in Iraq after a nearly
four-year hiatus. "Let us double or even triple the number of
inspectors," he added, stressing that no opportunity should be
lost to strengthen the operational effectiveness of the inspections
process. Mr. de Villepin noted, however, that there were still
"grey areas" in Iraq's cooperation with the inspections,
such as the unresolved questions in the ballistic, chemical and
biological areas. If that path failed and led into a dead-end, then
"France rules out no option, including the use of force as a
last resort, to ensure Iraqi compliance," he said.
Mr. de Villepin was among the 11 Foreign Ministers who took part in
the open meeting, which was chaired by Foreign Minister Joschka
Fischer of Germany, the Council's President for the month of
February. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and the chief UN weapons
inspectors, Hans Blix of the UN Monitoring, Verification and
Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC), and Mohamed ElBaradei of the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also attended the session.
Tang Jiaxuan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of China, said the
Council had basically maintained unity and cooperation on the Iraqi
issue, which was critically important. "As long as there is
still the slightest hope for political settlement, the utmost effort
should be exerted to achieve it," he said, noting that the
inspections had been ongoing for some two months, and the chief
inspectors themselves had suggested continuing inspections. That
suggestion should be respected, Mr. Tang said, adding that he hoped
the upcoming visit to Baghdad by the head of UNMOVIC and IAEA would
yield positive results. He stressed that it was also the universal
desire of the international community to see a political settlement
to the issue within the UN framework, and to avoid any war. China,
he said, was ready to join others in working in that direction.
Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the unanimous adoption of
resolution 1441 and the deployment of international inspectors
demonstrated the ability of the international community to act
together in the interest of obtaining a common goal. Russia is
convinced, he said, that maintaining the unity of the world
community and of the Council are the best ways to achieve a
political end to the situation of weapons of mass destruction.
"That we all want an end to such weapons should not be doubted,"
he underscored. With that in mind, the UN experts must immediately
begin reviewing the information presented today. "Iraq must
give the inspectors answers to the questions by Secretary Powell.
The Council must do everything [it] can to support the inspections
process," he stressed.
For his part, Francois-Xavier Ngoubeyou, Cameroon's Minister of
External Relations, wondered if in such "grave circumstances"
the time had come for the Council to ask UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan to go to Iraq to speak with President Saddam Hussein on urgent
ways to resolve the present situation. The information presented
today was certainly troubling, Mr. Ngoubeyou said, and it was now up
to the Council to make the best use of it, in the spirit of the
process provided by resolution 1441. The data just produced could
facilitate the inspections, he stressed, suggesting that it would be
wise to provide the inspectors with that information and give them
more time to do their job. Cameroon recommended the continuation and
implementation of forceful and robust action to compel Iraq to
cooperate fully with the inspection teams.
Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez of Mexico said his country's
position had been unequivocally aimed at achieving the disarmament
of Iraq in the most effective way possible and by peaceful means,
while ensuring at all times that that goal was achieved at the
lowest cost in terms of human suffering and economic instability,
without undermining the urgent battle against international
terrorism. Citing Mexico's confidence in the inspections process,
Mr. Derbez said he was in favour of intensifying and strengthening
those inspections, as well as the assistance that Council members
and the international community in general could provide to UNMOVIC
and IAEA to successfully accomplish their delicate mission.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Kurshid M. Kasuri, said that while the
world community was justified in seeking to bring about Iraq's
compliance with relevant Council resolutions as soon as possible, it
could not ignore other elements that arose in the context of
security, such as ameliorating the suffering and ensuring the
welfare of the Iraqi people; preserving the unity and territorial
integrity of Iraq; and preserving the political and economic
stability of the region. He welcomed the US's initiative to work
through the UN, and called Mr. Powell's extensive presentation a
significant step forward as the Council sought to secure full
implementation of its resolutions regarding Iraq's disarmament. The
information provided enhanced the ability of the inspectors to
identify areas of concerns and to pursue more specific lines of
action.
Resolution 1441 gave Iraq a last opportunity to fulfil its
disarmament obligations, but the Iraqi regime was now bringing its
people into greater suffering, Chile's Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Soledad Alvear Valenzuela said, adding that attempts at partial
compliance and efforts to deceive or obstruct the process were
violations of the Council's previous resolutions. "We are
entering a crucial stage in a situation involving many fears
concerning the region and the world," she said, expressing
concern about the consequences of ending the use of diplomatic
channels. The day's presentation demanded action and information
from Iraq without any delay or hesitations, she said, stressing that
the accusations levelled today required urgent and precise
clarification. To that end, inspections should continue. The Foreign
Minister also appealed to Iraq to consider its responsibilities to
the Council and to the preservation of international peace.
Foreign Minister Fischer of Germany said it was now decisive that
the inspectors were also provided with extensive material in order
to be able to clarify the unresolved questions quickly and fully. He
said that several States suspected that Saddam Hussein's regime was
withholding relevant information and concealing military
capabilities. That strong suspicion must be dispelled beyond any
doubt. At the same time, the dangers of military action were plain
to see, he stressed, adding that a peaceful solution must continue
to be sought and the instruments of inspection and control should be
toughened. Mr. Fischer said that the French delegation had made some
very interesting proposals on that matter, which deserved further
consideration. Moreover, diplomatic efforts under way by States in
the region to bring the Iraqi Government to fully implement the
resolutions should be supported, he said. Iraq should disarm openly,
peace
2003-02-05 00:00:00.000
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