Posted on 02/15/2003 11:32:16 AM PST by nocommies
U.S. Gives Iraq Another Month Stewart Stogel Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003 United Nations -- Yielding to increased pressure by the UN Security Council, the Bush administration has unofficially given Iraq another month to comply with UN demands to disarm. During a private session of the Security Council on Friday, the US did not block a request by UN chief arms inspector Dr. Hans Blix to be given a month for Iraq to devise a mechanism to destroy prohibited missiles found in its possession.
"He asked for the time and we had no objection," explained one US official at the closed meeting. Another diplomat in attendance also confirmed the US account.
Calls to the UN arms chief's office were not returned.
Blix's plan on how to deal with the missile issue has two parts:
First, Baghdad has been given an "opportunity" to "react" to UNMOVIC's (UN Monitoring, Observation and Inspection Commission) findings that the al-Samoud II missile violates Council sanctions.
Second, within 30 days, Iraq must present to the UN arms chief a plan on how it intends to dispose of the illegal missiles in conformity with UN resolutions.
This effectively puts off any US military campaign until mid-March confirm State Dept. officials.
"One way or another these missiles will be taken care of next month," one official added.
Coincidentally, broadcast reports with US Navy officials confirmed that the Pentagon needs approximately three more weeks to ship additional tanks and helicopters to the Gulf.
The controversial al-Samoud missile is believed by the UN to have a range slightly exceeding the 150 km ermitted under UN resolutions.
Iraq first mentioned the missile problem in a declaration made to the UN last October.
During a visit to Baghdad last month, Blix was provided with extensive information on the design and of firing tests of the missile by the Iraqis.
The declarations were then referred by the UN to an independent group of missile engineers who released their findings to a meeting of UNMOVIC's executive board in New York on Wednesday.
While the missile's extended range of 25 miles is not necessarily strategic in its ability to hit any new major cities or military bases in the region, it could become a factor if used against US forces should war break out, confirms a US diplomat.
Baghdad explains the problem by claiming that the al-Samoud's tests were with missiles not fully loaded with an explosive warhead and guidance system.
When fully equipped, the Iraqis claim the al-Samoud does not violate UN resolutions.
The UN rejected the Iraqi claims, but has again asked Baghdad to respond to the findings.
The missile debate capped a day Secretary of State Colin Powell would just as soon forget.
Powell sat through more than three hours of open and some closed lectures by countless foreign ministers at the special Council meeting to hear an "update" by Blix and IAEA (atomic inspectors) chief Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei.
Both men told the Council they believed that arms inspections "were working" and that they have found no "convincing" evidence Iraq was currently "cheating" and hiding weapons of mass destruction.
Blix also questioned the "accuracy" of some of the "intelligence" evidence Powell presented to the Council last week.
Blix insisted that to date his people have found "no evidence" of Iraq trying to actively conceal prohibited weapons or obstructing any arms inspections.
The foreign ministers of France, Russia, China and Germany quickly jumped on the Blix report to insist that the time for war (with Iraq) has still not come.
One aide to U.S.ambassador John D. Negroponte insisted that Powell did not have a bad day.
The aide insisted that the Council was finally "becoming aware" that events are moving towards a "conclusion."
He added that the Council members are maneuvering for more time to decide "domestically" on how they will have to deal with the "inevitable."
Regards, Ivan
Not the first time I've heard that or felt it myself....in the last 12 years!
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