ugnet_: FRANCE BREAKS RANKS ON IRAQ

[Mulindwa Edward]

By David Usborne in New York and Andrew Grice, Political Editor 22 January 2003 France served notice yesterday that it would press other European governments to oppose American plans for war against Iraq, setting itself on a collision course with the United States and risking a damaging clash inside the European Union with Britain. France's Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, said in Brussels that he would use a summit of EU foreign ministers next week to rally opposition to an early war with Iraq. He said: "It is important Europe speaks on this issue with a single voice. We are mobilised; we believe war can be avoided." He was speaking a day after spelling out France's refusal to support a war, at least in the short term, at a meeting of UN Security Council foreign ministers in New York. He won public support from China, another permanent member, and Germany when he hinted at a French veto of any resolution authorising military force. He said: "We believe that nothing today justifies envisaging military action." Chancellor Gerhard Schr�der explicitly backed that position last night. He said: "Do not expect that Germany will agree to a resolution that legitimises war." President George Bush reacted testily to France's declaration as he again denounced Saddam Hussein. "This looks like a rerun of a bad movie and I'm not interested in watching. "How much time do we need to see clearly that he's not disarming? He is delaying. He is deceiving. He is asking for time. He's playing hide and seek with inspectors." Tony Blair made clear that he was prepared to back military action against Iraq even if the UN weapons inspectors failed to find a "smoking gun". And he warned that a split between Europe and the US would be disastrous. "If Europe and America split off, every other country in the world can play games with that." Mr Blair told MPs action could be taken on the basis that President Saddam had refused full co-operation with the UN team. "The judgement you need to make, and it is a matter of judgement itself as to the time at which you need to make this, is: is he co-operating?" Diplomats in New York were taken aback by the ferocity of M. De Villepin's denunciation of an early move to war. Some likened his statement to an ambush on Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, who was at the Security Council meeting. "Since we can disarm Iraq through peaceful means, we should not take the risk to endanger the lives of innocent civilians or soldiers, to jeopardise the stability of the region ... We should not take the risk to fuel terrorism," he said. The temperature of the debate is rising fast in the run-up to Monday's first full report to the Security Council by Hans Blix, the chief weapons inspector, and Mohamed al-Baradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency. In the days that follow, Mr Bush delivers his State of the Union speech, and then meets Mr Blair at Camp David. But France appears to have calculated that any attempt by America and Britain to win authorisation for war at the Security Council after next Monday will fail. Russia, Chile and Syria supported France yesterday. Deadlock in the Security Council will present Mr Bush and Mr Blair with an extraordinary dilemma. Neither leader ­ but especially Mr Blair ­ savours triggering hostilities without international backing. The Prime Minister simultaneously has a delicate task inside Europe; the fresh tensions over Iraq could hamper his attempt to heal his recent rift with the French President, Jacques Chirac. The only possible sources of support for Mr Blair inside the EU are Italy and Spain, which, as a non-permanent UN Security Council member, has so far leant more towards the United States in acting decisively against President Saddam.        The Mulindwas communication group "With Yoweri Museveni, Uganda is in anarchy"