UK ready to ignore UN veto on Iraq
By Krishna Guha in London, James Harding in Washington and Mark,Turner at the United NationsPublished: March 7 2003 4:00 | Last Updated: March 7 2003 4:00
Britain is prepared to join the US in a war against Iraq even if France and Russia veto a new resolution at the United Nations Security Council, Tony Blair said yesterday.
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In a sign of mounting diplomatic tension over French-led efforts to block a new resolution authorising military action, the prime minister made it clear for the first time that - like the US - Britain would not be held back even if there were more than one "unreasonable" veto.
His comments, in an interview with the MTV music television station, came on the eve of the latest report to the Security Council by Hans Blix, the chief UN weapons inspector, on whether Iraq is complying with the demands made under last November's resolution 1441 to give up its weapons of mass destruction.
Colin Powell, US secretary of state, will urge the 15 council members not to give President Saddam Hussein any more time to comply and to vote next week for a second resolution giving the green light for use of force.
Yesterday China said it backed a statement issued on Wednesday by France, Germany and Russia pledging to block the new resolution and calling for more time for inspections. As permanent members of the Security Council, China, France and Russia have the power of veto.
Mr Blair - under severe political pressure not to go to war without UN backing - said he still believed it was possible to pass the new resolution. Britain has proposed writing in a short delay giving Iraq a final chance to disarm, in an effort to win over wavering council members.
But the prime minister appeared to acknowledge the resolution may yet face a French and possibly a Russian veto. Asked whether he would take military action without a second resolution, he said: "If there was a veto applied by one of the countries with a veto, or by countries that I thought were applying the veto unreasonably, in those circumstances we would."
Mr Blair said the UK and US could not sustain the military pressure on Iraq indefinitely. "We have 300,000 troops down there sitting on his doorstep. We can't wait for ever."
The prime minister said that if there were a war and Mr Hussein were captured, he should be brought before a war-crimes tribunal.
"I think there is a very good case for making sure that Saddam faces trial," he said. He added that he was still prepared to allow the Iraqi dictator to go into exile peacefully.
In an attempt to rebut claims that the UK and US wanted control of Iraq's oil wealth, Mr Blair said that all Iraqi oil revenue would go into a UN trust fund and be used solely for the benefit of the Iraqi people. Neither Britain nor the US would be able to access that money without UN approval, he added.
The growing assumption in Washington is that President George W. Bush has made up his mind to go to war.
Latin American ambassadors called to the White House for a briefing with Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, left with the impression that "the decision has been made", one said.
In his report today Mr Blix is expected to chart increasingly active disarmament measures by Iraq, including destruction of a number of al-Samoud 2 missiles. But he is unlikely to say Baghdad has made a fundamental turnaround and that compliance is complete. As a result, his report will be taken as backing for both camps. Hewitt woos women, Page 6 Iraq crisis, Pages 10 & 11 Editorial Comment, Page 18 Comment & analysis, Page 19 www.ft.com/iraq
New bin Laden hunt
CIA officers arrived in Pakistan yesterday as evidence mounted that the hunt for al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been narrowed down to an area around the port of Gawadar near the Iranian border. Intelligence officials said the search was "white hot", after last week's arrest of Khaled Sheikh Mohammed.
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