Steve Quayle News Alerts

September 19, 2002

(CBS) It's a four-way push today for the Bush administration, as it moves forward in its battle to get tough on Iraq, which is hoping its offer to readmit U.N. weapons inspectors will prevent any military action.

The White House is expected to send Congress today its draft of a resolution it wants approved giving President Bush "maximum flexibility" in dealing with Iraq - which would include the possibility of military action, although not inevitably, and not necessarily right now.

Meanwhile the process of working for a new United Nations resolution on Iraq is continuing in New York, despite opposition from many delegates, and firm support so far coming only from Britain.

The administration's point of view will be well-represented on Capitol Hill today, with Secretary of State Colin Powell testifying before the House International Affairs Committee and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

For Rumsfeld, it's day two of the campaign to persuade Congress. Testifying before a House committee yesterday, he argued that lawmakers should vote on the resolution even before the United Nations takes any action, to demonstrate to American unity and resolve.

Saying that no "terrorist state" poses a greater and more immediate threat to the world than Iraq, Rumsfeld said additional National Guard and Reserve troops would have to be called up if the U.S. does attack Iraq. But he insisted that there is "not a chance" a military draft would be needed.

CBS News White House Correspondent Mark Knoller reports that the draft resolution being sent to Capitol Hill would ask Congress to reaffirm its 1998 resolution committing the U.S. to "regime change" - that is, an end to the current government - in Iraq.

A White House spokesman says Mr. Bush has not yet made a decision on whether to launch a military attack on Iraq, but he wants the resolution approved so that Congress is committed to him having "maximum flexibility" in dealing with Hussein.

In Baghdad, CBS News Correspondent Mark Phillips reports local papers are saying that Iraq destroyed its weapons of mass destruction years ago and the U.S. push at the U.N. is just an excuse for the U.S. and Britain to launch an attack.

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan says Iraq's decision to allow the unconditional return of U.N. weapons inspectors - not allowed since 1998 - is a "sincere move that would expose the U.S. administration's false claims on Iraq."

According to Iraq's state-run newspaper, Ramadan argues that "Iraq's initiative will provide the U.N. weapons inspectors with the chance to know for certain and from close up that Iraq is clear of weapons of mass destruction."

President Bush and other U.S. officials have cast doubts on the Iraqi offer to readmit weapons inspectors, suggesting it may be a delaying tactic.

Mr. Bush has furthermore said that Iraq will not "fool anybody" with its about face on the weapons inspector issue, and he predicted that the U.N. will rally behind the U.S. despite what he calls Iraq's "ploy."

The U.S. and Britain are trying to drum up support for a U.N. resolution setting timetables for arms inspections in Iraq and declaring Baghdad in "material breach" of a dozen U.N. Security Council measures.

A senior Western diplomat says a document is not expected to emerge until next week, at which time the two allies hope to have an at least partial agreement from Russia, France and China, who hold veto power in the 15-member council

"The drafting is the easy part once the concepts are agreed," said one U.S. diplomat.

Russia opposes any resolution before U.N. weapons inspectors are back on the ground following Iraq's decision on Monday to let them return without conditions. France has reservations and China is expected to abstain on any measure that hints of war.

Evoking a "material breach," declaration, in U.S. eyes, would provide grounds for an attack on Iraq and serve as a substitute for the more contentious direct authorization of the use of force.

The outlines of a new resolution are to be discussed by Secretary of State Colin Powell at a Washington dinner with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov on Thursday.

Friday, President Bush lays out his case to Russian foreign and defense ministers at a meeting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Powell.

Before that chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix briefs the Security Council on Thursday afternoon. That meeting follows a speech by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri to the U.N. General Assembly.

Wednesday evening, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Blix met Sabri and his delegation, with Annan making clear that the inspectors were expected to have "free and unconditional" access, a U.N. statement said afterward.

Blix told Sabri he hoped his mission could get off to a "flying start" and Sabri pledged Baghdad's full cooperation, according to the statement.

But one worry point for the United States are arrangements made for circumspect inspections of "presidential" sites in Iraq in 1998. Any new resolution might revoke such exceptions.

Blix will be meeting Iraqi officials in Vienna on Sept. 30 to negotiate logistics, such as offices, equipment installations, transport, communications, accommodations, escorts and landing sites for aircraft.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/09/16/world/main522075.shtml