ISOLATED BUSH AND BLAIR SHUN NEW PEACE PLAN
Feb 10 2003
By Stephen White
BRITAIN and America stood alone last night against the world push for peace.
As Russia and China backed a plan by France and Germany to head off war with Iraq, President Bush and Tony Blair remained defiant.
Bush warned that the United Nations could be brushed aside and said: "One thing is certain - for the sake of peace and the sake of security, the United States and our friends and allies, we will disarm Saddam Hussein if he will not disarm himself."
The UN chief weapons inspectors spoke of a possible breakthrough after two days of talks with officials in Baghdad.
Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei, who will report to the UN Security Council on Friday, said they believed they had seen the start of a "change of heart" by the Iraqis.
But in a grim sign of America's intentions, as many as 100,000 body bags and 6,000 coffins were reported to have been secretly delivered to a US military base in Italy as President Bush became even more determined on war.
France and Germany outlined a route to a resolution, involving a huge step-up in weapons inspections - backed by United Nations troops with French air patrols.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin supports the idea and fellow big-hitter China is also thought to be in broad agreement.
UN arms watchdogs Mohamed ElBaradei and Hans Blix added to the hope of avoiding conflict by hinting at increased co-operation from the Iraqi leadership.
Blix is to give a further report to the UN Security Council on Friday, when a US-British countdown to war could begin.
But last night Bush and Secretary of State Colin Powell were refusing to budge.
Mr Bush even warned the very existence of the UN was at risk.
He said: "The United Nations gets to decide shortly whether or not it is going to be relevant in terms of keeping the peace, whether or not its words mean anything.
"But one thing is certain - for the sake of peace and the sake of security, the United States and our friends and allies, we will disarm Saddam Hussein if he will not disarm himself."
Mr Powell said the France- Germany path to possible peace was "a diversion, not a solution".
He added: "It misses the point. The issue is not more inspectors. The issue is compliance on the part of Saddam Hussein."
At present there are just over 100 inspectors in Iraq. The plan is to triple that total and fly thousands of UN troops into Iraq to support them.
French Mirage 4 military jets would be brought in to over-fly sensitive areas. So far Iraq has refused airspace to American U2 reconnaissance aircraft.
A French diplomatic source said: "Ways of reinforcing the system of inspections must found, and the sooner the better."
Russia's Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said he had "no doubt" that his country would back the move.
President Putin said: "The results of the work of inspectors so far have given us no grounds for toughening our position. I am certain that unilateral actions would be a mistake."
France, Russia and a supportive China, along with the US and Britain, are the five members of the 15-strong Security Council with the power of veto over any resolution.
The original UN call for Iraq to surrender any weapons of mass destruction was approved in November by 15-0. Last night Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the UN nuclear watchdog in Iraq, held out hopes of more co-operation from Saddam. "I would say I'm seeing the beginning of a change of heart for Iraq," he said.
"We are showing that an inspection can work and an inspection can provide an alternative to war.
"The ball is very much in Iraq's court. We made it clear to Iraq they need to move on the whole file."
He asked for more time from the UN "as long as we are registering good progress".
Chief arms inspector Blix, talking after officials handed over further documentation about old chemical and biological weapons, said: "I perceive a beginning. Breakthrough is a strong word for what we are seeing."
On the US stance, he added: "I would much rather see inspections than some other solution."
Iraq has promised to expand nationwide a search for weapons programmes and documents.
The European peace plan will be outlined to the Security Council on Friday, before the inspections report.
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, meeting Mr Putin in Berlin yesterday, said: "It is my aim, and that of the president, that the conflict that exists be solved with peaceful means."
Belgium also backs a strengthening of inspection teams.
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on a visit to Italy: "The patience of the world is nearing its end."
He even said Germany's anti-war stance put it on a par with Libya and Cuba.
And in a fresh attack on European opponents, he added: "I'm truly amazed that Europe, which is so sensitive to the respect of human rights in every part of the world, isn't equally sensitive to the continuous violations that Saddam's regime continues to perpetuate."
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