Britain backs US on UN demand
UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Britain backed U. demands for the United Nations to hold Iraq responsible for its defiance of Security Council resolutions as Arab ministers and many other nations called on Baghdad to end its intransigence.
In his speech to the General Assembly yesterday, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw never referred directly to the use of force, but made clear that Britain believes there must be consequences if Saddam Hussein refuses to admit UN weapons inspectors.
“We have not just an interest but a responsibility to ensure that Iraq complies fully with international law,” Straw said. “We have to be clear to Iraq and to ourselves about the consequences which will flow from a failure by Iraq to meet its obligations.”
Britain’s position closely mirrored Bush’s call to the United Nations to confront the “grave and gathering danger” posed by Iraq.
At his Camp David retreat, Bush stood alongside another strong ally, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and pounded away at challenges outlined last week in his UN speech.
“The UN will either be able to function as a peacekeeping body as we head into the 21st century, or it will be irrelevant. And that’s what we’re about to find out,” Bush said yesterday.
“Make no mistake about it. If we have to deal with the problem, we’ll deal with it.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with foreign ministers from the 22-member Arab League on the sidelines of the assembly. The ministers unanimously urged Baghdad to allow the immediate return of inspectors to Iraq.
“We said loudly and clearly that we are for the integrity of Iraq, for the stability of Iraq, as well as for the full implementation of all the resolutions regarding Iraq,” Lebanese Foreign Minister Mahmoud Hammoud said. “We would like to see the observers going back to Iraq and with them will come peace for the Iraqi people and stability for Iraq.”
Annan told the Arab foreign ministers that he wanted them to individually push for the return of inspectors to avoid another major conflict in the region.
