Despite stiff opposition in the UN Security Council, the US and Britain still plan to press ahead this week with a new resolution seeking authorization to use military force to disarm Iraq, diplomats from the two allies said.
US Ambassador John Negroponte and British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock met Monday afternoon to discuss the content and timing of a second resolution, which diplomats say will likely be circulated late today after a two-day open debate on Iraq in the Security Council.
The US and Britain face an uphill struggle following last Friday's modestly upbeat reports from the UN's chief weapons inspectors and calls from the overwhelming majority of council members led by France for inspections to continue.
Buoyed by weekend demonstrations around the world that attracted millions of people, the anti-war forces are likely to get another boost at the debate that started yesterday afternoon in which nations that aren't on the 15-member Security Council can express their views on the Iraq crisis.
The debate was scheduled at the request of South Africa, which heads the Non-Aligned Movement of 115 mainly developing nations who are overwhelmingly opposed to the war. More than 40 countries have signed up to speak, and the session is not expected to conclude until this afternoon, when Washington and London are likely to circulate their proposed resolution.
Signaling the opposition ahead, French President Jacques Chirac said Monday his country would oppose any effort to draft a new UN resolution to explicitly authorize war against Iraq at this time. "There is no need for a second resolution today, which France would have no choice but to oppose," Chirac said.
Still, yesterday, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin downplayed the talk that France might use its veto.
Raffarin said the veto was a "very strategic element" for France that allows Paris to act independently on the world stage. But he said that the current strategy on dealing with the Iraq crisis "consisted of maintaining the unity of the international community."
"We are not pursuing a course of isolation and blockage," Raffarin said when asked whether France would use its veto power. "To the contrary, we are pursuing a course of unity."
France, Russia and China -- all with veto power as permanent council members -- are pushing to prevent a rush to war and let inspectors do their work. Among the 10 non-permanent members, only Spain fully backed Washington and London in Friday's debate.
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