Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=11/6/02

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=U-S / Iraq / Powell (S)

NUMBER=2-296160

BYLINE=David Gollust

DATELINE=State Department

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The United States today (Wednesday) is giving the U-N Security Council what Bush administration officials say is a "final" revised draft resolution that would U-N weapons inspectors back to Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell has canceled a trip to South Korea to try to shepherd the resolution through the council. V-O-A's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

TEXT: Officials here say the draft has been amended to take into account the concerns of other council members. But they say it still fulfills the basic criteria sought by the United States in the effort to make Iraq give up its weapons of mass destruction.

The draft, which U-S diplomats want to see approved this week, retains a warning that Iraq would face "serious consequences" if it defies the Security Council and international weapons inspectors.

But it provides Iraq with a "final opportunity" to meet its disarmament obligations, language intended to meet Russian and French concerns that the resolution should not automatically trigger military action against Baghdad.

Officials say Secretary of State Powell, who has led the eight week U-S diplomatic drive at the U-N, canceled an Asian trip that was to have begun Saturday to focus on the negotiations. He was to have attended a conference of the Community of Democracies in Seoul and had considered stops in Japan and China. (Signed)

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