Free Republic

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - France last cast a lone veto in 1976, over a resolution to recognize the tiny island of Mayotte as part of the newly independent state of Comoros. For the United States, it was three months ago, over a resolution condemning violence in the Middle East, specifically the killing of U.N. employees by Israeli soldiers and the destruction of a U.N. warehouse filled with food for needy Palestinians. The power to veto, held by an exclusive five-member club of the Security Council, allows the world's most powerful nations to shape international peace and security. But in the...

W atching the ongoing tarantella around the "use of force" resolution in the U.N. Security Council, one wonders why France has not yet stated that it will use its veto power. France has carefully avoided being explicit on this issue — why not just take a stand and be done with all this frenetic diplomatic activity? The question is more complex than a simple exercise of the French veto. First, examine the conditions by which France would have to use it. The veto is only necessary if the resolution receives the necessary nine votes in the Security Council. If the...

The United Nations Security Council has 15 members. The United States needs nine of them to vote for the second resolution for the war to be UN-approved. So far, the US has four votes - its own, plus those of Britain, Spain and Bulgaria. Germany and Syria are deeply opposed. France, Russia and China are also opposed, but it is not clear whether they will vote against or abstain. The other six - Chile, Cameroon, Angola, Mexico, Guinea and Pakistan - appear to be undecided. So, how will this thing go? Here are some possibilities. First, the second resolution could...

PARIS, March 10 (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac said on Monday France would use its U.N. Security Council veto to block a resolution authorising war against Iraq. "Whatever happens, France will vote 'no'," Chirac said on France 2 and TF1 television in his first televised interview on the Iraq crisis. "There could, effectively, be a majority of nine votes or more for a new resolution, one which would authorise war. "If that was the case, then France would vote 'no'. France will vote 'no' because she considers tonight that there is no reason to wage a war to reach...

Mon March 10, 2003 03:25 PM ET WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior U.S. official reacted coolly to French President Jacques Chirac's promise to veto a U.N. Security Council resolution paving the way to war with Iraq and said such a veto would not surprise Washington. "We're under no illusions about France," said the U.S. official, who asked not to be named. "We're not particularly going to react to a single statement. We would not at all be surprised if France stayed with a 'no' vote to the end." While stressing that he was not predicting any change of heart by...

Bastard just said it...if we attack Iraq they are out as a partner on the war on terror.

RTRS: France Will Veto Iraq War Resolution if it Gets U.N. Majority- Chirac