Britain and US outgunned in Security Council

Britain and the US found themselves outgunned in the UN Security Council today by the eloquence of the French and determination of other nations to avoid war in Iraq.

The French foreign minister drew rare applause from his Security Council colleagues – council rules prohibit such displays – with his declaration that weapons inspections “are producing results” and that there was no justification yet for a war with Iraq.

Dominique de Villepin, speaking after a report by the chief UN weapons inspectors, recommended that arms searches in Iraq continue and that Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei return to the council with another progress report on March 14.

France, along with Germany and Russia, has opposed the US and Britain in their campaign to win UN approval for a war on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein because of his alleged weapons of mass destruction.

Just before the Security Council met, Saddam issued a presidential decree banning all weapons of mass destruction – weapons he claims he does not have.

A majority of the 15 members of the Council favour continued inspections in Iraq, and their applause for de Villepin was an unusual show of accord and appreciation.

The US and Britain had been were waiting to hear from the inspectors before deciding when to present a draft resolution that would either authorise military action or find Iraq in “material breach” of its obligations – a term that Washington and London believe would be enough to justify an attack, according to diplomats.

British diplomats said a draft could be introduced as early as tomorrow.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw were due to meet in New York today with the three other veto-wielding permanent council members – France, Russia and China – and then with the 10 elected members.

“There are a number of options,” said Britain’s UN Ambassador Sir Jeremy Greenstock. “I think there will be a last minute decision.”

France could also decide to submit its proposal to triple the number of inspectors, diplomats said.

In the council chamber, Powell pressed reluctant allies to threaten Iraq with force to disarm and not be taken in by “tricks that are being played on us.”

“The threat of force must remain,” Powell said after UN inspectors reported some co-operation from Iraq but said they did not have a complete account of Iraqi weapons programmes.

“We cannot wait for one of these terrible weapons to turn up in our cities,” Powell said, as he told the Council that Iraq was strengthening its links with terror groups.

“More inspections – I am sorry – are not the answer,” Powell said.

Jack Straw, reflecting his government’s firm backing of the U.S. position, urged all 15 members to “hold our nerve in the face of this tyrant,” Saddam Hussein.

Powell concentrated his diplomacy on the foreign ministers of France, Russia and Germany, which have been resisting the push to forcibly disarm Iraq’s president.

In his report to the council crediting Iraq with expanding its co-operation, chief weapons inspector Hans Blix challenged the report Powell provided to the council last week on evidence of Iraqi deception.

With Powell listening from his seat across the horseshoe shaped table, Blix cast doubt on Powell evidence claiming that Iraq had cleaned-up suspect sites before inspectors arrived.

Pointing to one case Powell highlighted using satellite photos of a munitions depot, Blix said: “The reported movement of munitions at the site could just as easily have been a routine activity” as one designed to hide banned materials before inspections.

“In no case have we seen convincing evidence that the Iraqi side knew in advance that the inspectors were coming,” Blix said.

He his teams have not uncovered any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq but that Saddam has not accounted for many banned weapons that his government is suspected of having.

Blix’s colleague, nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei, told the council that inspectors found no evidence Iraq had resumed its nuclear weapons programme and said inspectors could do their job without Iraq’s full co-operation.

Blix said it was significant that “many proscribed weapons and items are not accounted for.”

As an example, he cited a document that suggested some 1,000 tons of chemical agent were unaccounted for. Although he said he could not conclude the chemicals still exited, there was no proof that they had been destroyed.

Blix also reported findings by a panel of experts that one of Iraq’s new missile systems exceeds the range limit set by Security Council resolutions.

“The experts concluded that, based on the data provided by Iraq, the two declared variants of the Al Samoud 2 missile were capable of exceeding 150 kilometres (94 miles) in range. This missile system is therefore proscribed for Iraq,” Blix said.

Blix said additional information was needed on a second missile, Al Fatah, before deciding if it was in violation.

Blix said private interviews with three Iraqi scientists ”proved informative” but that, since the interviews conducted in Baghdad on February 8-9, no more had been done in private – “on our terms.”

“I hope this will change,” he said. “We feel that interviews conducted without any third party present and without tape recording would provide the greatest credibility.”

In his report, ElBaradei said, as he did in the previous report, that inspectors found no evidence Iraq had restarted its nuclear weapons programme.

ElBaradei said the matter of high-strength aluminium tubes that Iraq tried to import had not been closed. He has said previously that the IAEA believes Iraq intended to use the tubing for conventional rockets.

He said Iraq today provided new documentation on the tubes, a reported attempt to import uranium, the procurement of magnets and magnet production capabilities, and the use of the explosive HMX.