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Britain: Iraq in Breach of Resolution
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Tuesday that a ``damning and disturbing'' report by United Nations weapons inspectors proved Iraq was in ``material breach'' of a U.N. disarmament resolution and made war more likely. Straw said Monday's report by chief weapons inspector Hans Blix, claiming Iraq had not genuinely accepted the need to disarm, revealed Saddam Hussein's ``pattern of noncooperation by which he hides his weapons, his poisons, his diseases.'' ``The conclusion that Iraq is in material breach is an incontrovertible one,'' Straw told a news conference. ``The chances of this being resolved by peaceful means are less than they were,'' Straw told the British Broadcasting Corp. Tuesday. Earlier this month, he had said the chances of a war with Iraq taking place were 40 for, 60 against. 90 - 10 now. U.N. resolution 1441 requires that Baghdad make no false statements or omissions in a declaration on its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, and cooperate with steps to disarm. Straw said Saddam's regime has failed in both respects. Iraq insists it has no banned weapons. Inspectors are due to update the Security Council again on Feb. 14, but Straw said that date should not be taken as a deadline for Iraq to comply. A finding by the Security Council that Iraq was in ``material breach'' of its resolutions could open the way to war. Straw said the Iraqi regime ``does not have long to change its behavior fundamentally'' or face war, but he would not ``put a precise figure on the time'' Baghdad had left to show it was complying with the U.N. resolution. ``There aren't ultimatums being talked about at the moment,'' he said. ``However, Iraq would be making the most profound mistake if it thought it could go on with its game-playing any longer.'' He added: ``We want to see this matter resolved by peaceful means, but the responsibility to avoid conflict rests with Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi regime.'' While Britain has been firm in supporting the U.S. stance on Iraq, other Security Council members - most importantly Russia, China and France, which hold the same veto power as Washington and London - have said the inspections should continue for several weeks, if not months. However, Straw said all 15 members of the Security Council agreed that Saddam must comply fully with the U.N. resolution. ``We are in the same position as the United States and the other 13 members of the security council'' in enforcing an ``international consensus,'' he said. ``We're all on the same side.'' British Prime Minister Tony Blair will fly to Madrid, Spain, on Thursday for talks with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, a strong supporter of the Anglo-American stance on Iraq. Blair's office said he then will travel to Washington to meet with President Bush before returning home on Saturday. Final face-to-face war council Blair will go to France on Monday and meet President Jacques Chirac the next day, most likely to discuss Iraq. Giving Chirac one last chance as well? Posted by: Steve 2003-01-28 |
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