Powell reaches out to Security Council members

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has reached out for support from the foreign ministers of four UN Security Council nations as US and British diplomats crafted a proposed new resolution on disarming Iraq.

En route to Asia, Mr Powell told reporters yesterday that he spoke by telephone with the Greek foreign minister, whose country holds the European Union presidency, and with the foreign ministers of Mexico, Chile and Bulgaria, all members of the Security Council.

He said he talked to each one about a second UN resolution, which he expects will say in a ”straightforward and direct” manner that Iraq is not in compliance with the resolution passed unanimously last year. Because of the non-compliance, Mr Powell said, he expects the resolution to specify that “other actions” should be considered.

The earlier resolution promised “serious consequences” to punish non-compliance, and the Bush administration made clear they interpreted that as military action.

President George W Bush, on a three-day weekend at his Texas ranch, will call the leaders of all nations on the council “to urge them to meet the test and to fulfil the mandates of the United Nations so that Iraq, indeed, disarms”, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said.

Also, Under-secretary of State John Bolton will go to Moscow early next week for talks designed to persuade Russian officials to support the US-British resolution.

Assistant Secretary of State William Burns was sent to New York, meanwhile, to report to Security Council members on talks this week in London about US efforts to establish a Palestinian state.

That is a goal of the Arabs and many European countries that the US hopes to line up to support its Iraq policy.

Before leaving for Texas, Mr Bush was asked by an interviewer from Telemundo, a Spanish-language TV network, whether the nation would be at war by the middle of March, and the President did not rule it out. “That is very hard for me to tell,” Mr Bush said in an interview aired yesterday. “Even if I knew the date, I would not share it because I don’t want to share it with” Saddam.

Mr Bush’s guest for dinner yesterday and talks on today was the prime minister of Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, who already is aligned with the US and Britain. Mr Bush also talked by telephone to the emir of Kuwait, Sheik Jaber Al Ahmed Al Sabah the Kuwaiti foreign minister, Sheik Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In an interview with Russia’s RTR Television, one of a series Mr Powell conducted with foreign media ahead of his five-day Asian trip, he said war could be avoided should Iraqi President Saddam Hussein voluntarily leave the country.

“If he complies, or if he leaves the country tomorrow, there will be no war,” he said. He said Saddam had made no serious offer to co-operate with UN disarmament demands and has shown no signs that he intends to leave.

“People are hoping that war can be avoided,” Mr Powell said. “I hope it can be avoided. But the one who has the power in his hands to decide whether there will be a war or peace is Saddam Hussein.”

The US and Britain plan to offer the new resolution on Monday. The goal is to achieve a minimum nine votes on the Security Council, while avoiding a veto by France, Russia or China. All three of those permanent members are opposed to war and prefer to extend the weapons searches.

Iraq’s Vice President said in a television interview aired yesterday that it will be nearly impossible for the US and Britain to win approval for the resolution because there is no justification for it.

“Most of the main countries had a clear stand on this matter, but the evil attempts continue,” said Taha Yassin Ramadan.

In an effort to win adoption, the new resolution apparently will set no deadline for Iraq to disarm. Mr Powell told German TV N24 on Thursday that he would not expect the resolution to have a timeline, “but time is running out”.