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France: Most on council oppose war
UNITED NATIONS -- France said Washington and its allies abandoned their proposed U.N. resolution on Iraq after they realized they lacked a majority on the Security Council. French U.N. ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere said the United States, Britain and Spain "realized that the majority in the council is against and oppose a resolution authorizing the use of force." The U.S., UK and Spain announced Monday that they had abandoned efforts to seek a vote on their proposed second U.N. resolution on Iraq. (No resolution) A short time later, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said weapons inspectors and humanitarian workers were to be pulled out of Iraq. (U.N. withdrawal) De La Sabliere said a "huge majority" of the Security Council remained opposed to war. He said: "It would not be legitimate to authorize the use of force now while the inspections set out by resolution are producing results. "The co-sponsors made some bilateral consultation last night and this morning and the result is that the majority of the council confirmed that they do not want to authorize the use of force." Later Monday, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said France regretted the decision by the United States and its allies to abandon diplomacy. "Despite the clearly expressed will of the international community, the United States, Great Britain and Spain are today underlining their determination to resort to force," Villepin said in a statement. "France regrets a decision which nothing justifies today and which could have heavy consequences for the region and for the world. "True to its convictions, France reaffirms that in any case, the United Nations, the only bearer of international legitimacy, must play a central role in the settlement of the Iraqi crisis," he said. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, speaking in Moscow after the United States and its allies abandoned their proposed U.N. resolution, said no one had the legal right to go to war with Iraq under existing U.N. resolutions. "We believe the use of force against Iraq, especially with reference to previous resolutions of the U.N. Security Council, has no grounds, including legal grounds," Reuters quoted Ivanov as telling reporters. Both Washington and London say military action would be legal. "Resolution 1441, to which so many references are made, does not give anyone the right to use force automatically," he said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his first direct comments since Sunday's summit, said on Monday that war in Iraq would be "a mistake fraught with the gravest consequences which may result in casualties and destabilize the international situation in general." Speaking to a group of Muslim clerics, Putin said Moscow continues to support exclusively a peaceful resolution of the crisis and "any other option would be a mistake." Germany, a non-permanent member of the Security Council, also reiterated its opposition to military action, and Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he would continue fighting for peaceful disarmament. "I think it is always worth it -- even in the last minute -- to push for peace and to fight for a peaceful disarmament," Schroeder told German television ZDF late Sunday, The Associated Press reported. Germany's U.N. Ambassador Gunner Plugger said it was important to make a "100 percent effort" even if there's only a "1 percent chance of keeping the peace." Despite military action appearing imminent, France, Russia and German have asked the Security Council to schedule a meeting among foreign ministers on Wednesday to set a timetable for key disarmament tasks to be carried out. It wasn't clear how many of the 15 council foreign ministers would attend, AP said. Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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