Nonaligned Nations Ask for
Iraq Meet
By Edith M. Lederer,
Associated Press
Thursday, October 10, 2002; 11:21 PM
UNITED NATIONS Some 130 nations pressing for a
peaceful solution in Iraq asked the U.N. Security
Council on Thursday to hold an emergency open meeting
before it votes on a new resolution that could
authorize military action against Saddam Hussein's
government.
The move by the Nonaligned Movement, whose members are
mainly from developing countries, would put the U.S.
and British demands for military authorization under a
microscope by shifting what have been closed-door
talks into a public format.
Council members supported the request for an open
meeting and council president Martin Belinga-Eboutou
of Cameroon told members he would set a date after
consultations.
Diplomats said the open meeting will not be held
Friday, as France wanted, but will likely take place
sometime next week. It will definitely be held before
the council votes on a new resolution, diplomats said,
but it wasn't clear whether it would take place before
or after a new resolution is formally introduced to
the council.
The five veto-holding members remain divided on key
issues and have been meeting privately to thrash out
concepts, but diplomats report little progress and no
new meeting has been scheduled.
The United States and Britain have circulated a draft
that would toughen inspections and authorize the use
of force if Iraq doesn't comply with inspectors.
France, Russia and China oppose a green light to
attack before Iraq has a chance to cooperate, and are
supporting a rival French proposal.
"We think it's a good idea to have an open meeting at
the right time," U.S. deputy ambassador James
Cunningham said after Thursday's council meeting. He
refused to say when that might be.
U.S. spokesman Richard Grenell said the United States
always assumed there would be an open debate at the
appropriate time.
"I think it will take place next week, open for all
members," said Russia's deputy U.N. Ambassador Gennady
Gatilov.
"It's a very good thing, because the Security Council,
while taking the decisions, should represent the
opinions and positions of all members of this
organization," he said.
Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the
resolution several times with British Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw, State Dept. spokesman Richard
Boucher said in Washington.
Asked if Powell had shown flexibility in his talks
with other foreign ministers, Boucher said he was not
going to get into the details of Powell's
conversations but said the talks were about how to
make clear that there will be consequences if Iraq
should violate the resolution.
South Africa, the current Nonaligned Movement
chairman, sent a letter to the Security Council
president saying an emergency meeting is "imperative"
so council members can hear the views of the wider
United Nations membership before it adopts a
resolution.
The resolution, South Africa's U.N. Ambassador
Dumisani Kumalo wrote, includes issues "that are of
importance to ... the future role of the United
Nations in the maintenance of international peace and
security."
At an open Security Council meeting, any of the 191
members of the United Nations can speak. Many are
likely to use the opportunity to address the issues
surrounding Iraq's acceptance of the return of U.N.
inspectors after nearly four years ? and the majority
are expected to back the French and Russian position.
French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin
reiterated Thursday that the council should first send
a message to Saddam to let inspectors do their job
"without conditions or restrictions."
"We do not think that it is necessary to resort to the
use of force at this first resolution," he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10031-2002Oct10.html
