Strongly opposed to war in Iraq, Germany began its first working day as president of the UN Security Council on Monday during a critical month when the US may press the council to support military action to disarm Saddam Hussein.
Germany's UN Ambassador Gunter Pleuger spent much of the day holding one-on-one meetings with council members and other UN member states. But he actually began work more than a week ago, filling in key Iraq-related dates on February's calendar.
The timing of Germany's presidency -- which rotates alphabetically every month among the 15 council members -- has put a spotlight on the US-German dispute over dealing with Iraq.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder won re-election in September on an anti-war platform, and he continues to stand up boldly to the US, resisting its push for war in Iraq and presenting himself as a champion of peace.
German diplomats were privately miffed that they had no advance knowledge of US President George W. Bush's plans to send Secretary of State Colin Powell to the Security Council today. They learned about it from Bush's televised State of the Union address last week.
Nonetheless, Schroeder welcomed Bush's decision to send Powell to present what US officials say will be new evidence on Iraq's weapons programs and links to al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. But he said the information should have been given to the weapons inspectors earlier.
Schroeder has been unwavering in his position that weapons inspections should continue and that only the Security Council can decide whether there will be war.
As president of the council, Germany controls its agenda, but under council rules it could not ignore a request like the US' for Powell to speak.
Many council members have used the presidency to schedule meetings on key issues -- AIDS in Africa, child soldiers, women in conflict, to name a few. Pleuger had scheduled a news conference for yesterday to outline Germany's agenda for the month which is certain to be dominated by Iraq.
In its support of inspections, Germany had scheduled -- before the Powell presentation was announced -- a new update to the council from top UN inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei on Feb. 14 about the progress of inspections and Iraq's cooperation. Iraq then invited them to visit Baghdad this coming weekend, promising greater "transparency" and cooperation.
The surprise briefing by Powell has stolen much of the thunder from the inspectors' upcoming report, though their assessment will likely play a critical role in any new resolution that might be considered by the Security Council.
Last week, US officials discussed arrangements for Powell's presentation with Pleuger and said they were satisfied. Germany's Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will preside at the meeting, which will be attended by at least 12 foreign ministers, a reflection of its importance.
TYPHOON: The storm’s path indicates a high possibility of Krathon making landfall in Pingtung County, depending on when the storm turns north, the CWA said Typhoon Krathon is strengthening and is more likely to make landfall in Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said in a forecast released yesterday afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the CWA’s updated sea warning for Krathon showed that the storm was about 430km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point. It was moving in west-northwest at 9kph, with maximum sustained winds of 119kph and gusts of up to 155kph, CWA data showed. Krathon is expected to move further west before turning north tomorrow, CWA forecaster Wu Wan-hua (伍婉華) said. The CWA’s latest forecast and other countries’ projections of the storm’s path indicate a higher
SLOW-MOVING STORM: The typhoon has started moving north, but at a very slow pace, adding uncertainty to the extent of its impact on the nation Work and classes have been canceled across the nation today because of Typhoon Krathon, with residents in the south advised to brace for winds that could reach force 17 on the Beaufort scale as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) forecast that the storm would make landfall there. Force 17 wind with speeds of 56.1 to 61.2 meters per second, the highest number on the Beaufort scale, rarely occur and could cause serious damage. Krathon could be the second typhoon to land in southwestern Taiwan, following typhoon Elsie in 1996, CWA records showed. As of 8pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 180km
TYPHOON DAY: Taitung, Pingtung, Tainan, Chiayi, Hualien and Kaohsiung canceled work and classes today. The storm is to start moving north this afternoon The outer rim of Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taitung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春半島) at about noon yesterday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, adding that the eye of the storm was expected to hit land tomorrow. The CWA at 2:30pm yesterday issued a land alert for Krathon after issuing a sea alert on Sunday. It also expanded the scope of the sea alert to include waters north of Taiwan Strait, in addition to its south, from the Bashi Channel to the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島). As of 6pm yesterday, the typhoon’s center was 160km south of
STILL DANGEROUS: The typhoon was expected to weaken, but it would still maintain its structure, with high winds and heavy rain, the weather agency said One person had died amid heavy winds and rain brought by Typhoon Krathon, while 70 were injured and two people were unaccounted for, the Central Emergency Operation Center said yesterday, while work and classes have been canceled nationwide today for the second day. The Hualien County Fire Department said that a man in his 70s had fallen to his death at about 11am on Tuesday while trimming a tree at his home in Shoufeng Township (壽豐). Meanwhile, the Yunlin County Fire Department received a report of a person falling into the sea at about 1pm on Tuesday, but had to suspend search-and-rescue
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