Wait - isn't the US saying it wants to uphold
UN resolutions against Iraq?
**
nytimes.com
Annan Warns Against War Without U.N. Approval
By REUTERS
Filed at 3:05 p.m. ET
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan warned Washington on Monday that -- without U.N. Security Council backing -- a war to disarm Iraq would be short on legitimacy and violate the world body's charter.
Annan pleaded for unity ahead of a Security Council vote due this week on a new draft resolution authorizing war against Iraq. The United Nations had to exhaust every avenue to achieve disarmament by peaceful means before resorting to war, he said.
``The members of the Security Council are now faced with a grave choice,'' Annan told a news conference. ``If they fail to agree on a common position and action is taken without the authority of the Security Council, the legitimacy and support for any such action would be seriously impaired.''
``If, on the other hand, they can come together, even at this late hour, to address this threat in a united manner and ensure compliance with the previous resolutions, then the Council's authority will be enhanced and the world will be a safer place.''
``If the U.S and others were to go outside the Council and take military action it would not be (in) conformity with the (U.N.) charter,'' said Annan, who was in The Hague for peace talks to reunite Cyprus.
The United States, Britain and Spain have proposed a U.N. resolution that sets a March 17 ultimatum for Iraq to comply fully with U.N. demands that it give up its suspected chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. Iraq denies having such weapons.
NO VETOES, NINE VOTES REQUIRED
To be approved, the new U.N. resolution must win at least nine votes on the 15-member Security Council and there must be no veto from any of the five permanent members: the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
France and Russia both said they would vote no. But the United States has said it could go to war even without Security Council approval |
