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Resolution draft gives Iraq 30 days to comply
Compiled from Times wires UNITED NATIONS -- A toughly worded U.S. draft proposal on Iraq would give U.N. inspectors broad new powers to hunt for weapons of mass destruction and provide them with military backing to carry out the search. In a related development, President Bush secured key bipartisan support for a congressional resolution that essentially allows him to take the nation to war. According to the 31/2-page U.N. draft resolution obtained Wednesday by the Associated Press, the Security Council would give Iraq 30 days to compile a "complete declaration of all aspects of its program to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons." If any "false statements or omissions" are made in the declaration, member states would be authorized to "use all necessary means to restore international peace and security in the area," diplomatic language permitting military force. The U.S. proposal has not been submitted formally to the Security Council, or even shown to the majority of its 15 members. Key elements of the U.S. draft face deep opposition from Russia, China and France -- three veto-holding council members who say they aren't ready to authorize force before inspectors have time to test Iraq's willingness to comply. But U.S. diplomats welcomed signs that all three were ready for some compromise that would empower the inspectors and speed up a timetable for Iraqi compliance. Working a two-track approach on Iraq at the United Nations and at home Wednesday, President Bush said the use of force against Iraq "may become unavoidable" if President Saddam Hussein refuses to disarm. He issued his threat after House leaders agreed to give Bush authority to oust Hussein. The congressional resolution, which has bipartisan support, would allow the president to use force against Iraq "as he deems necessary and appropriate," if he determines that diplomatic efforts have failed. The draft was the third in two weeks, as Bush made concessions to broaden support. The president also would be required to inform Congress in advance of a military strike or no later than 48 hours after the attack. He would have to report on the progress of the mission at least once every 60 days, a period shortened from 90 days in the previous draft. A new provision would require Bush to tell Congress what plans have been made to deal with Iraq after a war, an issue that has concerned lawmakers in both parties. The proposal was taken up in a House committee Wednesday afternoon and was introduced in the Senate, which is scheduled to begin floor debate today. Supporters and opponents predicted that both bodies would pass the resolution next week, essentially authorizing the nation to go to war. The American draft of a U.N. resolution would give inspectors sweeping powers and could authorize a foreign military presence in Iraq to enforce the resolution. France has been floating a counterproposal that welcomes changes in the inspections regime but does not authorize force against Iraq. Instead, a draft of the French proposal, obtained by AP, offers Iraq a chance to cooperate but says that "any serious failure by Iraq to comply with its obligations" would lead to an immediate Security Council meeting to "consider any measure to ensure full compliance." A further glaring difference between the two drafts is that the U.S. proposal, written with the British, doesn't recognize Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity. That language, important for China, appears in previous resolutions and in the French draft and had been used by Iraq in the past to block inspectors from entering so-called sensitive sites such as government ministries. The competing international drafts lay out the basis for the difficult Security Council negotiations on Iraq expected to begin today, when chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix briefs the council on his meetings in Vienna earlier this week with Iraqi officials. Blix, who heads the U.N. Monitoring, Inspection and Verification Committee, or UNMOVIC, reached agreement with Iraqi officials on logistics for a new inspection mission to reassess Saddam's alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction. Iraq said it expected an advance team in Baghdad in two weeks. Blix is unlikely to get council approval to begin inspections while the five permanent Security Council members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- are divided over how to proceed. "We do not believe they should go in until they have new instructions. . . . The fear here is that Iraq's goal is to engage in a ploy so that they can drag this out before the world as they continue to build up their arms," Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer said Wednesday. In Moscow Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov suggested there was room for negotiations. "First we have to hold a session of the United Nations Security Council, hear Blix's report and determine if there indeed is a need for such a resolution. If additional decisions are necessary for the efficient work of the inspectors, we, of course, are ready to consider them."
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From the Times wire desk
From the AP |
