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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Karen Lawrence who wrote (73247)	2/12/2003 1:31:45 AM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

China opposes Iraq war, gives U.S. another hurdle By Noelle Knox, USA TODAY BRUSSELS — China on Tuesday joined voices of opposition to swift military action against Iraq, presenting another obstacle to U.S.-led plans to disarm the regime by force. Chinese President Jiang Zemin called for a peaceful resolution of the standoff over Baghdad's alleged biological, chemical and nuclear weapons programs: "Warfare is good for no one," he said. China now sides with France and Russia as permanent Security Council members publicly opposed to force. The three hold veto power over any United Nations-approved actions. Jiang's remarks underscore the international divide over how to disarm Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime and come as NATO allies in Europe clash over the issue. The controversy threatens to undermine that 19-nation alliance. China's Xinhua news agency said Jiang's comments followed a telephone conversation with French President Jacques Chirac, who is leading international opposition to war. France circulated a paper Tuesday within the Security Council calling for more intrusive weapons inspections. Despite the resistance at the U.N., White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said President Bush still hopes for a resolution authorizing force. "The president is going to continue to talk to leaders around the world, and he believes the call will be answered," Fleischer said. The Bush administration has said it doesn't need any additional authority to wage war and that the United States would go forward with "a coalition of the willing," if necessary. The White House has said dozens of nations will support a U.S.-led operation. Among likely partners: Britain, Australia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria. Friendly states in the region, such as Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey, would offer basing rights and logistical help. At NATO, U.S. allies balked for a second day at efforts to send defensive weaponry to Turkey, Iraq's northern neighbor, to protect it from Iraqi retaliation. France, Germany and Belgium resist the plan, saying it sends a message that war is inevitable. The 16 other members of the mutual defense alliance support the proposal. Also: Chief U.N. inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei are to report on Friday their latest findings on Iraqi compliance with inspections. The United States says inspections have failed to ferret out banned Iraqi arms and that only military action can find and destroy the weapons. Bush's national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, met with Blix in New York to discuss the inspections process. usatoday.com