Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tsigprofit who wrote (19088)	3/11/2003 12:29:04 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 25898

People aren't buying war as a solution. French veto threat makes diplomatic fallout likely euobserver.com Rifts between France and the UK over Iraq appear to be impassable. (Photo: EU Commission) President Jacques Chirac yesterday announced that France would be prepared to use its veto if a second resolution on Iraqi disarmament was to be put to the UN security council in its proposed form. The news comes as the UK government is reportedly pushing for an adapted version of a proposed resolution which was distributed among Security Council members last Friday. The changes are likely to include a series of time specific benchmarks which the Iraqi government would have to comply with in order to avoid war. It is also likely to extend the deadline for compliance beyond the planned initial date of 17 March. The case for a delay may also be helped by the news that Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to become the new Turkish leader in nine days time and will call another debate about the deployment of US troops in the country. U-turn Although the adapted proposal looks like the basis of a compromise, for France, Germany, Russia and China to accept the new resolution would represent a massive U-turn. France in particular has repeatedly stated that it will veto any deadlines which imply the use of force. The US is still likely to push for a vote in any case, hoping to pressurise vulnerable states who fear diplomatic repercussions into supporting the US position. The UK and US hope that this pressure will create a so-called 'moral' majority of nine members of the security council, who will then vote for the resolution. Given the prospect of a wave of ministerial resignations, a serious party split and plummeting approval in public opinion polls, the UK Prime Minister may be less inclined to push for another resolution without this moral majority. Even under these circumstances, he would face domestic repercussions. War with Iraq may become a question of how much Prime Minister Blair can, and is willing, to ask the US to move further towards a compromise. Press Articles Libre Belgique Le Figaro Frankfurter Rundschau Neue Zürcher Zeitung Berlin Online Liberation Expatica Le Monde Written by Andrew Beatty Edited by Lisbeth Kirk