Mexico Anti-War Stance Flags Under U.S. Pressure
Thu Feb 27, 1:06 AM ET Add World - Reuters to My Yahoo!
By Alistair Bell
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - U.N. Security Council member Mexico's opposition to war in Iraq sagged Wednesday under heavy diplomatic pressure from its dominant neighbor, the United States.
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Foreign Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez said Mexico was open to rival ideas in the Security Council on how to disarm Iraq, including a planned U.S. and British resolution seen as paving the way for war.
"All these documents and issues are all on the table," he told a news conference, repeatedly saying that Mexico's main concern in the Iraq crisis is the destruction of any weapons of mass destruction Iraq might have.
"What we are discussing with everyone is what it means, how it can be done; and once we have a clear idea of what these documents represent, Mexico will be able to take a position and a decision," he said.
Derbez's comments fell short of indicating support for Washington but seemed to show Mexico has moved away from outright opposition to a U.S-led attack on Iraq.
President Bush called Mexican President Vicente Fox by telephone last weekend to try to persuade him to come into the U.S. camp.
PRESIDENT DISSENTED
Fox has angered the United States, which takes more than 80 percent of Mexican exports, by his high-profile dissent.
The Mexican president was photographed praying for peace at a public event last week and he gave short shrift to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar who came to Mexico looking for support for the U.S. line on Iraq.
The United States and Britain have proposed a new draft resolution on Iraq, seen as a last warning before U.S. military action. France, Germany and Russia have submitted a separate plan to give U.N. weapons inspectors more time.
"We like them both a lot," said Derbez of the proposals. Mexico had previously voiced support only for the French and German line.
Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien held talks in Mexico late Wednesday with Fox to push a compromise deal that would demand Iraq comply with U.N. disarmament demands by March 28.
A senior Canadian government official said after the talks that the Mexican side liked certain aspects of the Canadian suggestion.
The official said Chretien received separate telephone calls from Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair about Iraq Wednesday.
"President Bush started the conversation by saying he wanted to have an update on our paper and he wanted to give the prime minister an update on his thinking," the official told reporters.
Neither of the leaders tried to pressure Chretien to drop the Canadian proposal, the official said.
Mexico's foreign ministry released a statement saying it maintained an "independent and autonomous" policy on Iraq.
Mexico is upset at Washington for its lack of interest in a planned deal to legalize the status of the millions of undocumented Mexicans in the United States.
Derbez denied that Mexican would support Washington in the Security Council in return for U.S. concessions on immigration. But he said he had told Secretary of State Colin Powell several weeks ago that Mexico sought progress on the issue.
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