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Powell, allies hold talks on U.N. resolution'Good, extensive discussions' on eve of Blix report
NEW YORK (CNN) -- On the eve of a crucial United Nations report on weapons inspections in Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell met with his counterparts from France and Germany, two countries opposed to a new U.N. resolution that could bring military action against Baghdad. While President Bush held a news conference in Washington on the Iraqi situation, Powell met with French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer and other counterparts on the U.N. Security Council. "They had good, extensive discussions of Iraq's refusal to disarm and the council's response to deal with this danger," said State Department spokesman Richard Boucher. "They discussed various ideas about resolution including possible changes in text." Boucher said discussions would continue Friday. U.S., Britain open to amending resolutionIn the face of clear signals from veto-wielding France, China, and Russia that they would oppose it, British and U.S. officials said Thursday they would be willing to amend the resolution in the hopes of overcoming opposition. A French official told CNN that France would not be adverse to a "close of rendezvous," or a proposal that would say weapons inspectors could give Iraq key disarmament tasks to accomplish in a certain time period. The official did not want to use the word "deadline" or "ultimatum" but said that Baghdad could be given a reasonable period of time in which to finish the key tasks, and then the U.N. Security Council would judge whether Iraq has complied. "We are seeking resolution that can obtain maximum support while making clear the council stands by the requirement to disarm immediately," Boucher said. President Bush would be willing to consider an extension between a week and two weeks, a senior U.S. administration official told CNN. The official said if France, Russia and Germany don't accept the resolution, there's going to be a "train wreck." "Both sides will stare at each other to see who blinks first," the U.S. official said. France would not, the French official said, allow the proposal -- which would not be a resolution, he said -- to include an ultimatum allowing the use of force. The chief U.N. weapons inspector, Hans Blix, has previously indicated the inspectors should be allowed to work in Iraq for at least four months, but France has suggested it would be willing to accept a shorter time frame. The United States, Britain and Spain have been relentless in their determination to win the necessary votes for a new U.N. resolution that could lead to military action to force Iraq to disarm. In his briefing, President Bush said the United States will present a new U.N. resolution on Iraq no matter what: "It's time for people to show their cards, let the world know where they stand when it comes to Saddam." On Friday, Blix and International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei will update the council on inspections in Iraq and the extent of Baghdad's cooperation. Blix is expected to present a list of outstanding questions for Iraq to answer. Afterward, debate on the new resolution is expected to begin. At least 11 foreign ministers and one deputy foreign minister plan to attend, a U.N. spokesman said Thursday. British Foreign Minister Jack Straw said his country is ready "to discuss wording and take on board constructive suggestions as to how the process set out in the draft resolution could be improved, and that is exactly what we are doing." Russian U.N. ambassador Sergey Lavrov reiterated his country's position that inspections are working and should continue. He would not see a plan to postpone military action as a compromise, he said. "Where's the compromise in that?" Only the inspectors can establish specific deadlines, Lavrov added. Focus on council's undecided membersFor the resolution to pass, nine votes are needed. Only four appear guaranteed: the United States, Britain, Spain and Bulgaria. Any of the Security Council's permanent members -- including France, Russia and China -- could veto the proposal. With Germany and Syria siding with those opposed to the resolution, much attention is being focused on the remaining six council members: Guinea, Cameroon, Angola, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan. All non-permanent members, they're being called the "undecided 6" or "U-6" in U.N. circles. U.S. and British officials said they believe the resolution may get the necessary votes and avoid a veto. In discussing the potential compromise language of the new resolution, the United States and Britain have examined different time limits with the "undecided 6." A senior administration official said that if the countries agreed to a week or two-week extension -- as another administration official said Bush would consider -- it would show their people that they went the extra mile to give Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "a final chance." Speaking to a Senate subcommittee before heading to New York for the talks, Powell repeated the U.S. contention that the United Nations risks becoming "irrelevant if it passes resolution after resolution that is simply totally ignored by a country in a situation where that country continues to develop weapons of mass destruction." British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he believes the council may pass the resolution but also said his country would be willing to support a war if one or more member nations used a veto "unreasonably." Iraq, which maintains it has no weapons of mass destruction, said a war would be a "genocide." "My message to the American people (is) to advise the American government not to commit this crime," said Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohamed Aldouri. "It will be a genocide. It will be inhumane." -- CNN State Department Correspondent Andrea Koppel contributed to this report. For latest developments, see CNN.com's Iraq Tracker.
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