Russia, France Edging Closer to U.S. on Iraq

Oct. 2, 2002

UNITED NATIONS -- Russia said Wednesday it would consider a new resolution governing weapons inspections in Iraq. France also backed changes in the U.N. weapons program, but its proposal did not include tough conditions demanded by the United States.

While both countries appeared open to writing new rules for the inspection regime, Moscow and Paris remained at odds with Washington over the key U.S. demand - Security Council authorization to use force against Saddam Hussein even before inspectors set foot in Baghdad.

Under the U.S. proposal, Iraq would have 30 days to provide ``an acceptable and currently accurate, full and complete declaration of all aspects of its program to develop chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.''

The American draft calls for ``use of all necessary means'' - diplomatic terminology for military force - if the council finds Iraq gave ``false statements or omissions'' or failed ``to comply and cooperate fully in accordance with the provisions laid out in this resolution''

In Moscow, which has opposed the use of military power to force Iraqi compliance, Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told reporters the Kremlin welcomed an agreement reached Tuesday in Vienna by chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix and Iraq on logistics for the return of inspectors after nearly four years.

But, he said, the Kremlin was willing - if need be - to look at new resolutions on the conduct of inspections.

``If additional decisions are necessary for the efficient work of the inspectors, we, of course, are ready to consider them.''

The French remain opposed to the U.S. proposal and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin wrote in Le Monde: ``We do not want to give a blank check to military action.''

Paris wants a two-step approach: first, defining the new inspections regime; and second, to be taken only if inspections fail, authorization of force against Saddam.

A French draft proposal would give Iraq a chance to cooperate. But it also warns 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.''

Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji has expressed support for the two-stage French proposal, which de Villepin wrote was the only way ``to maintain the international community's unity.''

The French draft, obtained by The Associated Press, says inspection methods ``will be revised'' by the Security Council after consultations with Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, director of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The French have not outlined what changes they want, but were seen as unlikely to support the tough U.S. proposals which call for inspectors to be able to interview Iraqis inside or outside the country.

The U.S. draft would establish ``no-fly/no-drive zones, exclusion zones and/or ground and air transit corridors which shall be enforced by U.N. security forces or by members of the council.''

It also would give the five permanent Security Council members the right to dispatch representatives with the inspections teams and give them the right to intelligence reports by the inspectors. Iraq, in the past, accused inspectors of spying for the United States.

The permanent five are holding talks on the U.S. draft. Secretary of State Colin Powell said Tuesday that reaching agreement will take time, and he believes there is movement. Many council members are open to a new resolution, but diplomats believe that tough negotiations lay ahead,

Blix will report to the Security Council on Thursday, outlining the deal struck Tuesday with Saddam's special adviser, Gen. Amir Al Sadi, who said he expected an advance party of inspectors in Baghdad ``in about two weeks.'' That remains uncertain, however, because the Security Council must act first.

Norway's U.N. Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby, a council member, said ``the inspectors need now to have the backing of the council, so I think this issue will have to be sorted out.'' He said the council could shorten the process by issuing a statement - a nonbinding sense-of-the-council document - rather than a resolution.

President Bush views the Blix-Iraq agreement ``as an Iraqi ploy to string out the world as they build up their arms,'' White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said. ``Obviously the cat and mouse games have begun.''

Any one of the five permanent members of the Security Council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - can alone veto any resolution. While there are indications positions among the five are inching closer, it would appear that fundamental compromises still need to be made.

In Vienna, the Iraqis agreed to ``immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access'' to all sites, Blix said, including the Ministry of Defense and Republican Guard facilities - but Saddam's palaces remain exempt from surprise inspections.

A 1998 agreement between Iraq and the United Nations requires the inspectors to give the Iraqis notice before visiting about eight presidential sites, and calls for the presence of an international diplomat during the visits. The United States wants to cancel that agreement.

A senior U.S. official said Russia now takes the position that no place - including palaces - can be outside the reach of U.N. inspectors.

Bush said Tuesday he would not accept a ``weak'' resolution and challenged the Security Council to ``show its backbone.'' Powell followed up, declaring: ``Pressure works, and we're going to keep it up.''

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Wednesday the existing U.N. arrangements for weapons inspections were inadequate.

``What we have to have is upgraded weapons inspection arrangements,'' Straw said, ``where it is the international community and not Saddam Hussein playing games which determine how the inspections take place, and what the consequences will be,'' if Iraq does not cooperate.

Powell said the U.S. view is that Blix ``should get new instructions in the form of a resolution'' before inspectors return.

U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said ``the council endorsed the arrangements that were made (in 1998) ... and they can decide what they want to do.''

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