US Presents Revised Draft on Iraq, Expecting Vote on Friday

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, November 07, 2002

US Presents Revised Draft on Iraq, Expecting Vote on Friday

The United States presented a revised draft to the UN Security Council on Wednesday which offers a "final opportunity" for Iraq to comply with disarmament obligations.

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The United States presented a revised draft to the UN Security Council on Wednesday which offers a "final opportunity" for Iraq to comply with disarmament obligations.

The revised draft, newly approved by the White House, has been examined line by line by the 15-member council at a closed meetingcalled by the composers.

US Ambassador John Negroponte told reporters after the meeting that the new draft "is the best way to achieve the disarmament of Iraq by peaceful means, obviously provided that Iraq complies fully with its obligations."

He added that his delegation "intended to have the resolution put to vote some time during the day on Friday."

Bushed by France, Russia and China, the new text added several lines "reaffirming the commitment of all Member States to the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq, Kuwait, and the neighboring States," but it leaves room for military action.

While decided to set up an "enhanced inspection regime," it also "afford Iraq... a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations under relevant resolutions of the council."

With its new offer, Washington hopes that the council would vote and adopt the proposed resolution by the end of this week. However, it is still unclear how would France, Russian and China react.

The three veto power holding council members are wary that any reference to "serious consequences" and "material breach" could make the United States deem itself authorized the council's license for war.

"In terms of hidden triggers, we don't see much substantive changes" from the third version of the draft available to all council members, a diplomat close to the council meeting told Xinhua. A second version of the US draft had already dropped an explicit authorization for the "automatic use of force."

The diplomat also said, on condition of anonymity, that some concerns of the resistants had been tackled and the difference were being ironing down, and an early adoption within this week "is more likely."

A minimum of nine "yes" vote is required for any resolution of the council to be adopted, providing there is no veto from its five permanent members.

According to the text obtained by Xinhua Tuesday night, the newdraft warns that failure of Iraq to comply with its disarmament obligations would lead to "serious consequences," a phrase that could be interpreted as military strikes.

It authorized the inspectors "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional and unrestricted" access to any place they want to survey, including Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's palace compounds.

They can do interviews with any Iraqi scientists and governmentofficials "in the mode or location" of their choice, and they can facilitate the travel of those interviewed, along with their families, out of the country, a provision UN chief inspector Hans Blix has called difficult to enact.

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