Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar effectively dismissed French-led proposals to allow Iraqi President Saddam Hussein more time to comply with U.N. resolutions, saying it would "strengthen the tyrant". The tough stance from the Spanish leader, who is backing U.S. calls for a new resolution in the U.N. Security Council saying Iraq has "failed" to disarm, came only hours before he was due to meet French President Jacques Chirac in Paris. "To give more time to a tyrant is simply to strengthen the tyrant and we are talking here about a tyrant, Saddam Hussein, who is equivalent in historic terms to figures like Hitler and Stalin," Aznar told the COPE radio network.
| Cheeze, Joe. Don't hold back. Tell 'em what you really think... |
"I do not support giving much more time to a tyrant because he will not use it to disarm, but rather to arm himself," the Spanish leader said. "Saddam Hussein is a tyrant who will only disarm when he is under insupportable pressure." The United States, Britain and Spain have sponsored a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that would declare Iraq had "failed" to honour its disarmament obligations. Spain currently holds one of the revolving seats on the council. France opposes the move, which distributed proposals to intensify inspections and continue them for at least four more months. These proposals are backed by Germany and Russia, and to an extent China in the 15-nation Security Council. "The more time you give, that is to say, the more you alleviate the pressure on Saddam Hussein, the less he is going to cooperate with the United Nations from the point of view of his obligation to disarm," Aznar said.
I'm liking Spain and their Prime Minister more every day. |