The Hindu : French plan to resolve Iraq crisis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 13, 2003

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French plan to resolve Iraq crisis

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON FEB. 12. The stage is being set for an all-out confrontation at the United Nations, with France keen on taking on Britain and the United States over the ongoing crisis in Iraq.

Defying Washington and London, France has circulated specific proposals that would address the issue of disarmament in Iraq in a peaceful manner. The French idea has the backing of Russia and China, two other permanent members of the Security Council; and according to one count, has the support of at least 11 out of the 15 members of the full Security Council. For any resolution to pass the Council, it requires nine votes and no veto by any permanent member. And the Bush administration has started racheting up diplomatic pressure.

On Tuesday, the President's National Security Advisor, Condoleezza Rice, made a surprise visit to New York for a meeting with the top weapons inspector, Hans Blix. Washington is obviously concerned that Mr. Blix could "soften'' his language in his second report which would then weaken the "case'' of the U.S. According to a number of versions in the media, Dr. Rice has told Mr. Blix that he had to be as blunt as possible; and is goading the top U.N. official to say publicly that Iraq has failed to scrap any of its prohibited weapons systems.

The Bush administration has also come down hard on the "conditions'' imposed by Baghdad for the flights of the U-2s.

The new proposals set in motion by France will see the overall strengthening of the inspections regime in Iraq, including perhaps the tripling of inspectors on the ground; there will be expanded surveillance flights, the appointment of a permanent U.N. coordinator in Baghdad and recruiting experts and other officials who are qualified to track down Iraqi weapons and programmes of mass destruction. The plan would also expand the kind of security programme put in place by the U.N. in Iraq during the inspections process including the "freezing'' of sites before and after inspections. But apparently, the French plan formally circulated to members as a position paper does not talk about sending in U.N. peacekeepers — or Blue Helmets — to strengthen the inspections process.

Last week, it was said that both France and Germany were putting forth this plan with a larger and expanded framework of inspections. France — as will the U.S. and Britain — will wait until after the presentation of the second report of Mr. Blix; and this is set for February 14.

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