France will oppose UN resolution

President Jacques Chirac said tonight France would oppose any effort to draft a new UN resolution to explicitly authorise war against Iraq at this time.

“There is no need for a second resolution today, which France would have no choice but to oppose,” Chirac said as he arrived in Brussels for an emergency EU summit on the Iraqi crisis.

Chirac’s statement strongly reaffirmed Franco-German attempts to prevent a war against pressure from the US and Britain, who have said time is running out.

France and Germany, backed by Russia, proposed expanding inspections in a joint statement last week.

In Washington, President Bush’s national security adviser said the White House might push a new UN plan to force a showdown with Saddam Hussein.

Condoleeza Rice said the administration may ask the UN to take up a new resolution authorising force against Iraq, although she said action was already sanctioned by a previous resolution.

The White House was evaluating all options after being rebuffed in the UN Security Council on Friday, where members lined up behind France’s call for more weapons inspections and against military action.