UN Security Council divide grows wider

THE divide between permanent members of the UN Security Council over the looming war with Iraq grew ever wider yesterday.

While Britain prepared a resolution authorising the use of force against Iraq and President Bush urged the Security Council to “make up its mind soon”, Russia and France were pulling in the opposite direction.

The French ambassador to the UN Jean-David Levitte said 10 to 11 Security Council members want to extend weapons’ inspections in Iraq. “Let’s have the inspectors do their job,” Jean-David Levitte said. “Saddam is in his box and the box is now closed with the inspections.”