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Which countries might support the latest U.N. resolution?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States wants the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution declaring that Iraq has failed to take the final opportunity to disarm. But the French, Germans and Russians aren't buying it. They've come up with a competing proposal that outlines a step-by-step disarmament of Iraq. Bill Richardson, former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and current New Mexico governor, joined "Crossfire" hosts Robert Novak and Paul Begala Monday to discuss the split in the Security Council. NOVAK: Governor Richardson, people on both sides of the aisle were afraid the president was going to order an attack months ago against Iraq, [and were] very happy that he went to the U.N. He's gone through the regular order on everything. [He] got a unanimous vote the first time and they're not obeying the resolution. Surely, unless you're a very partisan Democrat, you can't criticize him or fault him for his conduct in using the U.N. in this procedure, can you? RICHARDSON: No. I think the president deserves credit. ... He went and got a first U.N. resolution passed unanimously, 1441, and now that's going to a second one, under very tough odds. It is going to be tough for him to get it. I think in the end he will. But he deserves credit for going to the U.N. and it is in our interests. We want international support for our action, with NATO, with the Third World, and certainly in the Security Council. NOVAK: Sir, I agree. I think he's going to get it, too. But let's just hypothesize that perhaps he doesn't get the resolution. Do you think that really would prevent the United States from taking military action against Iraq? RICHARDSON: Well, I was in a meeting with the president [and] a bunch of governors this morning. I think he's pretty much decided he's going to go. I think it is important that we get a favorable vote. I think it is doable. If we don't get it, and we don't get approval, and we do go, we're going to lose some international prestige. We're going to lose international support. We're going to, I think, throw into question the United Nations, the Security Council. I think the United Nations is going to be tagged, if it doesn't respond ... NOVAK: League of Nations. RICHARDSON: ... with Saddam Hussein who right now is not following up on destroying the missiles and allowing the Iraqi scientists to be interviewed and the Iraqi reconnaissance flights. It's going to be pressure on both sides. But I think by a narrow margin, a 9-6 vote. I think France and Russia will abstain. This is where the 10 other countries of the Security Council that are not permanent members are going to make the decision. BEGALA: Well, let's go through those countries. We've listed them up here. This is based on our own reporting. This is not a government document. Obviously the U.S., the U.K., Spain and ... Bulgaria, they've lined up with us. The no's seem to be pretty serious countries here, some big countries. France, Russia, China, Germany, Syria and Mexico. And that leaves these guys in the middle here: Pakistan and Chile, Angola, Cameroon and Guinea. We've got to get every single one of these, maybe to get to nine, right? RICHARDSON: That's right. And... BEGALA: Who do we get and how? RICHARDSON: Well, there's going to be a lot of horse-trading. This is when countries come up to you and say, well, Mr. Ambassador, we'd like a presidential visit. BEGALA: Right. RICHARDSON: Or we'd like to be invited to the White House. We want an aid package. BEGALA: But if you [were] strategizing for him ... who can you move over to the yes column? RICHARDSON: I can move Mexico over by possibly offering some kind of immigration agreement. I think Syria's gone. I think you try to get Germany to abstain. China will abstain if Russia and France abstain. So you offer these three an arrangement where, in exchange for abstaining, they basically stay quiet. It means they won't help us in the coalition effort. And then you have nine votes. That's what you want. Cameroon hates France, so you use that. Angola, you know, we have a lot of energy interests. They sell us a lot of oil. Chile and Pakistan will take some persuading but I think we can get them. NOVAK: Angola is a country we were fighting in a war for about 20 years there. RICHARDSON: That's right. NOVAK: That's what I thought.
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