Blair rejects latest Iraq plan

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair yesterday dismissed a Franco-German plan for peaceful disarmament of Iraq, saying it was absurd to think UN inspectors could find lethal weapons without Baghdad’s full co-operation.

“They are not a detective agency and even if they were Iraq is a country with a landmass roughly the size of France.”

Britain and the US have sought UN authorisation for war on Iraq by producing a new resolution declaring Baghdad had squandered its final opportunity to disarm. France and Germany, backed by Russia, quickly circulated a rival proposal that would extend and beef up UN inspections for at least four months.

German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer would not rise to Blair’s criticism after 30 minutes of talks with the British leader but clearly underscored their differences. “We should do everything to avoid military action,” he told reporters. “We think all other measures are not exhausted.”

Blair said a vote on the new resolution was being delayed by two weeks to give Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein one more chance to disarm voluntarily, but said he must now co-operate 100%. Fischer said Saddam could be controlled and disarmed by a combination of weapons inspections and diplomatic and military pressure.

The US and Britain must secure a minimum of nine votes among the 15 council members to pass the new resolution. France, Russia or China could use their veto to kill the draft.

Blair said he still hoped no permanent member of the Security Council would wield the veto as London and Washington engaged in serious diplomatic work on other UN members.

Junior Foreign Office minister Baroness Amos launched a diplomatic offensive in Africa to win over Guinea, Angola and Cameroon, which currently hold Security Council seats.

Blair met Jordan’s King Abdullah after Fischer and flies to Madrid for talks with Spanish ally Jose Maria Aznar on Friday.

“I do not want war,” Blair said. “I do not believe anyone in this house wants war, but disarmament peacefully can only happen with Saddam’s active co-operation.”

He faces a hostile session in parliament tonight when it debates a carefully worded government motion supporting the Security Council resolution demanding Saddam disarm.

Around 60 members of the Labour Party have signed an amendment stating that “the case for military action against Iraq is yet unproven”.

Another 11 are backing a statement which simply says parliament “declines to support war against Iraq”.