International   

U.K. not for Franco-German plan

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON FEB 10. A Franco-German plan to avert the looming war in Iraq which greeted with scorn here with the British Government insisting that the key to resolving the crisis was a `fundamental' change in Iraqi attitude.

The plan envisages a three-fold increase in the number of U.N. weapons inspectors in Iraq, extensive deployment of U.N. troops across the country, extension of no-fly zones, the use of American, French and German reconnaissance planes in aerial search of Iraq's alleged arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and a host of other measures to strengthen the arms monitoring regime.

Reports suggested that the plan amounted to effectively handing over Iraq to the U.N. though the Iraqi President, Saddam Hussein, would be allowed to stay.

It was said to be backed by Russia which, like France, has a veto on the U.N. Security Council and can shoot down any British-U.S. resolution seeking a mandate for military action.

The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was reported as saying that his country was "almost completely in agreement" with the ideas put forward by France and Germany.

With two of its five permanent members backing the plan, observers warned of a confrontation at next Friday's U.N. Security Council meeting where Britain and the U.S. are expected to push for military intervention. Both Britain and the U.S. were quick to dismiss the plan.

While the Foreign Office declined to comment directly saying there was no formal plan, a spokesman told The Hindu that what was required was a fundamental change in Iraq's attitude. It was important that it should cooperative more fully with weapons inspectors, he said.

The view in Government circles was that increasing the number of weapons inspectors would not help unless Iraq was serious about cooperating.

The `bottom line', it was stated, was Iraq's compliance with the U.N. resolution 1441 which directed Baghdad to disarm fully.

The U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, called the plan a "diversion, not a solution" and the Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, in an interview with The Times, said his preferred solution was for Mr. Hussein to go into exile.

"The country that received him could promise not to extradite him. And I am sure there are plenty of countries that would be happy to have him," he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• NATO facing 'credibility crisis': U.S.
• Fresh hurdles to U.S. invasion route plan
• U.K. not for Franco-German plan
• Russia to play mediator on Iraq?
• China reduces embassy staff in Iraq
• Bangladesh rejects Vajpayee's charge
• Vyas laments steep decline in relations
• Powell sets cut-off date for Iraq
• Pak. not to downgrade mission
• 'Pakistan n-programme in safe hands'

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu