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To: diana g who wrote (27742)	8/14/1998 1:09:00 PM
From: Captain James T. Kirk	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 95453

UN Council Awaits Iraq's Next Move NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press Writer UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The Security Council has postponed a formal show of support for U.N. weapons inspectors in their latest standoff with Iraq, preferring to wait for Baghdad's next move, council diplomats say. However, the council may send letters to the chief U.N. weapons inspector and the International Atomic Energy Agency to convey support for inspectors and say that Iraq's actions were unacceptable, the diplomats said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity. The letters might be seen as giving weapons experts the go-ahead to attempt the kind of inspections that Iraq suspended last week, the diplomats said. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein announced on Aug. 5 that Iraq was banning new site inspections. The council has reacted only by calling the freeze ''totally unacceptable.'' Saddam's declaration came after chief U.N. weapons inspector Richard Butler said during a visit to Baghdad last week that he could not certify Iraq had complied with U.N. resolutions calling for the destruction of its weapons. Meanwhile, inspectors were awaiting word from the council on whether to proceed with inspections and request Iraqi escorts. Escorts are required for visits to new sites. But a top official at Iraq's U.N. mission who spoke on condition of anonymity said his country would not provide escorts. The muted council response to the latest crisis may stem from its desire to mend internal divisions over how to deal with Iraq. France, which has been more sympathetic toward the Iraqi position than the United States, has recently indicated its displeasure with Saddam over the abrupt cessation of cooperation. ''This decision will do a disservice to Iraq's cause,'' said a statement Thursday from the French Foreign Ministry. The French position could lead to a tougher council stand in October, when it reviews economic sanctions imposed against Iraq after it invaded Kuwait in 1990. The sanctions, which prevent Iraq from freely selling its oil, will not be lifted unless weapons inspectors certify that Iraq has destroyed its long-range missiles and weapons of mass destruction. If inspectors cannot get to sites to certify Iraqi compliance, one Western diplomat said, sanctions will not be lifted. But a more patient, middle-ground reaction from the council could force Iraq to make the next, conciliatory move if it wants sanctions removed, the diplomat said. Meanwhile, as recently as a week ago, the Clinton administration tried to discourage U.N. weapons inspectors from carrying out surprise inspections, fearing further showdowns with Saddam, The Washington Post reported today. Butler canceled planned inspections after receiving a warning from Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and other high-level officials, the Post reported, citing American and diplomatic sources. Albright denied she had tried to instruct Butler how to do his job. Butler told the paper that suggestions that he received orders from Albright were ''a very considerable distortion of what took place.'' At the State Department today, spokesman James Foley said Albright ''has never told Chairman Butler how to conduct his investigations.'' A statement from Butler's office said the Post's allegations were false. Butler routinely confers with council members on policy issues, but all operational decisions are taken by Butler, the statement said. Butler ''would find it invidious were any attempt made to direct his operational decisions or to micro-manage the day-to-day work of the Special Commission,'' the statement said.