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| Iraq |
| Saddam is out of time, Australia tells UN |
| 2003-02-19 |
| Australia has emerged as the strongest supporter of the United States in the worldwide debate about Iraq, telling an open meeting of the United Nations Security Council that it rejects the plan to give weapons inspectors more time to disarm Saddam Hussein. Australia was the only nation that used Tuesday's meeting to declare Iraq in "material breach" of resolution 1441, which set up the inspections regime. Australia's UN ambassador, John Dauth, urged the 15 members of the council to "quickly" consider a second resolution, authorising force. "In Australia's view the Security Council should not wait forever to confront this issue. In our view the council should move quickly to consider a further resolution that deals decisively with Iraq's failure to comply." Good friends stick together. Thanks, mate! But Iraq's ambassador to the UN, Mohammed Aldouri, who spoke before Mr Dauth, urged members of the Security Council to ignore the US, Britain and its allies, and listen to the "call of millions" who marched in anti-war rallies last weekend. Mr Aldouri said the US and Britain's "feverish efforts" to wage war were part of a plan for world dominance. He said Iraq had destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction, and provided weapons inspectors with "all kinds of active co-operation". Most of Iraq's neighbours also urged the council to avoid war. "Where is the immediate danger that Iraq poses to the world to warrant a war?" asked the League of Arab States representative, Yahya Mahmassani. Others warned that the Middle East could face chaos if war took place. The Iranian envoy, Javad Zarif, warned that "the extent of destabilisation in the region and uncertainty in Iraq in the case of a war may go far beyond our imagination today". Envoys from Iraq's neighbours Jordan and Turkey, which both have close ties to the United States, said that they were still suffering from the economic and human dislocations caused by the last Gulf War. The open meeting of the Security Council started late on Tuesday because of heavy snowfalls in New York, and only 27 of the 60 scheduled speakers were able to speak. The debate will continue this morning, Australian time, and the US will not present its second resolution until it is over. In Washington, President George Bush said he would not be deterred by global protests against war. "I respectfully disagree" with those who doubt that Saddam Hussein is a threat to peace, he said. War remained a last resort, but "the risk of doing nothing is even a worse option". The 27 speakers at the UN yesterday presented a cross-section of views. Many argued that Iraq should get more time to disarm, but several others said time was running out. The Turkish ambassador, Umit Pamir, said Iraq should move "irreversibly and sincerely" towards disarmament, and Kuwait's Mansour Ayyad Al-otaibi criticised Iraq for its "continuing challenge to the will of the international community". Japan's Koichi Haraguchi said Japan, like Australia, wanted the Security Council to adopt a second resolution. New Zealand's ambassador, Don MacKay, said his Government would not support a war not sanctioned by the UN. Speaking on behalf of the European Union and associated states, the representative of Greece, Adamantios Vassilakis, said force should be used "as a last resort". Those against the war will never find a last resort. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #1 blah blah blah blah... The US doesn't need a resolution Britain, Australia can survive without a resolution Kofi and Chirac need a resolution ot they will have to start paying NYC parking tickets. |
| Posted by: john 2003-02-19 11:26:16 |