US seeks approval for final draft of Iraq resolution

THE US took a final draft of its Iraq resolution to the UN Security Council yesterday hoping to win approval from wary allies concerned it could trigger a new war against Saddam Hussein.

The draft has changed significantly since it was first introduced last month, but US officials said the bottom line remains the same: tough new weapons inspections coupled with a threat of "serious consequences" if Iraq fails to comply. While the revised draft offers major concessions to critics, it still frees the Bush administration to take military action against Iraq without a second resolution. In an attempt to meet French and Russian concerns, the new US draft gives Saddam "a final opportunity" to comply with UN inspectors, holds out the possibility of lifting sanctions against Iraq, and adds a reaffirmation of Iraq's sovereignty."

But it remains to be seen whether the latest draft, written with British support, will satisfy Russia, France and others. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov said yesterday that Moscow remains opposed to any wording that would give Washington a free hand in launching military action. "We still believe that it's necessary to ensure that the new resolution contains no automatic mechanism for the use of force," Fedotov said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency.