U.N. members want meeting on Iraq plan [Open session]

Associated Press | October 11, 2002 | EDITH M. LEDERER

[HAL9000]

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 told members he would set a date after consultations.

Diplomats said the open meeting will not be held today, as France wanted, but probably will take place 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.

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.

[bybybill]

Put the Iraqi problem before the entire UN, yeah, right, do it and then let`s get out of the UN and on to Baghdad. We will have lot`sa allies then.

[KingKongCobra]

Perfect. Those communist fools will hang themselves and we can push to disolve the whole useless organization. Is Bush very lucky or very smart?