HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK ---------------------------
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/11/wirq11.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/03/11/ixnewstop.html Daily Telegraph March 11, 2003 France and Russia will vote no By Toby Harnden, Philip Delves Broughton and Ben Aris -In an attempt to further raise the pressure on Britain and America, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany said he would personally attend the Security Council and was expected to vote against the resolution. M Chirac was expected to join him, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin was considering doing the same. But American officials dismissed out of hand the notion that Mr Bush might travel to New York to cast the US vote. Britain and America suffered a double setback to their frantic attempts to secure a second United Nations resolution over Iraq last night when France and Russia said they would vote against. President Jacques Chirac said France would vote no, "whatever the circumstances, because we do not think war is necessary to achieve the goal we've established". Waging war without UN backing would set a "dangerous" precedent, he added. Igor Ivanov, Russia's foreign minister, said: "Russia believes no further resolutions of the UN Security Council are necessary. "Therefore Russia openly declares that if the draft resolution that currently has been introduced for consideration, and which contains demands in the form of an ultimatum that cannot be met, is nonetheless put to a vote then Russia will vote against." Seeking to address the deterioration in relations between Paris and Washington, M Chirac said: "We are not opposing America for the sake of opposing them." France and Russia both hold a veto in the Security Council. The White House was understandably downbeat about the French and Russian leaders' statements. "The president would indeed be disappointed if Russia were to veto," said Ari Fleischer, President George W Bush's spokesman. "The president would look at this as a missed opportunity for Russia to take an important moral stand to defend freedom and to prevent the risk of a massive catastrophe taking place as a result of Saddam Hussein's development of weapons of mass destruction." A Washington official said of M Chirac's comments: "We're under no illusions about France. We would not at all be surprised if France stayed with a 'no' vote to the end." American officials said they would reluctantly support British efforts to introduce set tasks for Iraq to comply with if this was what it took to secure support from some of the wavering countries such as Chile and Mexico. Extending the deadline of March 17 for Iraq to comply would also not be completely ruled out by the Americans, although it appeared unlikely anything more than a few days would be contemplated. The diplomatic stakes were raised when Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, cautioned Washington that if military action was taken without Security Council authority "the legitimacy and support for any such action would be seriously impaired". In an attempt to further raise the pressure on Britain and America, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder of Germany said he would personally attend the Security Council and was expected to vote against the resolution. M Chirac was expected to join him, and Russia's President Vladimir Putin was considering doing the same. But American officials dismissed out of hand the notion that Mr Bush might travel to New York to cast the US vote. Engaged in what Mr Fleischer termed "the thick of diplomacy", Mr Bush yesterday telephoned Jiang Zemin, the Chinese President, Junichiro Koizumi, the Japanese Prime Minister, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Sultan Qaboos of Oman. He was said to be emphasising humanitarian arguments for liberating Iraq. Downing Street said Tony Blair was working flat out to secure a second resolution, telephoning other world leaders to seek their support. Mr Blair spoke yesterday afternoon to Hans Blix, the UN chief weapons inspector, and in recent days has contacted all the other Security Council members in an attempt to define tests which would prove whether Saddam was in compliance with resolution 1441. The Prime Minister refused to admit defeat in his fight for a second resolution. During a televised questions session with anti-war protesters he said: "As I sit here now I'm still confident we can get it." American officials said Saddam was preparing to blow up the Kirkuk oilfields in northern Iraq before invading forces reached them. "There are indications that has taken place," said one official. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Web Hosting - establish your business online http://webhosting.yahoo.com --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST ==^================================================================ This email was sent to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bdn7KI.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] TOPICA - Start your own email discussion group. FREE! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/create/index2.html ==^================================================================
