• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

03 November 1998

SECURITY COUNCIL DRAFTING HARSH RESOLUTION ON IRAQ

(US wants step-by-step process at the UN) (390)
By Judy Aita
USIA United Nations Correspondent
United Nations -- The UN Security Council November 3 began discussing
the details of a strongly worded resolution that will put the force of
international law behind its recent condemnation of Iraq's decision to
end all cooperation with UN weapons inspectors.
US Ambassador Peter Burleigh said that the United States wants "a very
strong statement."
While the United States has not ruled out any options on responding to
Iraq, the US ambassador said, "our strong preference is to go on a
step-by-step process here at the United Nations."
"We want the Security Council to take the lead and to react strongly
and in a united fashion to Iraq. We think that is the best policy and
we hope the council will do that," Burleigh said.
After Iraq announced October 31 that it would no longer allow the UN
to monitor its weapons sites and demanded that the employees of the UN
Special commission overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons
(UNSCOM) leave the country, the Security Council issued a press
statement condemning the Iraqi action.
In a statement to the press, British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock,
president of the council for October, said that the council members
"considered this decision a flagrant violation of relevant council
resolutions and of the memorandum of understanding signed between the
secretary general and the deputy prime minister of Iraq."
Burleigh, who is the current president of the council, pointed out
November 3 that a resolution will "have the force of international
law. ... So it is important that the next thing for the council to do
is to translate the language used Saturday into a resolution."
The draft resolution presented by the British delegation currently
under discussion states that the council is determined to ensure
Iraq's immediate and full compliance with the Gulf War cease-fire
resolutions without conditions or restrictions. It would invoke
Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which implies that force may be used to
enforce the mandatory resolution.
In addition to condemning Iraq's latest actions, the draft resolution
demands that Iraq rescind immediately and unconditionally its August
and October decisions to stop cooperating with the UN weapons
inspectors.