3.7 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 1 February to 7 March
2003
421.
Mr Mamady
Traoré, Guinean Permanent Representative to the UN and
President
of the
Council, advocated continued inspections although they “should not
be continued
indefinitely”.
Guinea was “concerned at the abrupt rise in tension within the
international
community”
over the Iraq crisis and appealed “for a swift beginning of direct
and
constructive
dialogue among Security Council members so that we can move
beyond
this
climate of tension which could deal a harsh blow to the United
Nations system”.
Iraq must
“finally agree” to co-operate and end its delaying
tactics.
422.
Mr Munir
Akram, Pakistani Permanent Representative to the UN, stated that it
was
“understandable
that the patience of some important members of the Security
Council
is running
out”. The call in resolution 1441 “was credible because it was
unanimous”.
Pakistan
believed that the “Security Council must maintain this unity of
purpose and
action”. It
could still unite around:
•
“a general
preference, even at this late stage, to secure the elimination of
Iraq’s
weapons of
mass destruction through peaceful means”;
•
Iraq’s
“immediate, active and unconditional co-operation”;
and
•
“a
readiness to allow more time”.
423.
Mr Martin
Belinga-Eboutou, Cameroonian Permanent Representative to
the
UN, stated
that Cameroon wished to “emphasise … the need for the Security
Council
to continue
to safeguard … its unity and cohesion”. He added: “The discord,
the
cacophony,
indeed the confusion surrounding us in recent days can only harm
our
effectiveness.”
Cameroon was “in favour of a peaceful settlement” and was “trying
to
take a
pragmatic and realistic approach”. It had “raised the possibility
of more robust
inspections”
which would require Iraq’s immediate, active and complete
co-operation.
It was
“clear that further non-compliance by Iraq with the demands of the
Security
Council
would be one violation too many”, which would leave the Council
with “no other
choice but
to adopt, in unity and cohesion, appropriate measures to have its
decisions
respected
within the provisions of the Charter”.
424.
Referring to
Mr Annan’s speech on 8 February, Mr Belinga-Eboutou
appealed
for unity
and cohesion. He stated:
“The
maintenance of peace and security is a very delicate and serious
mission.
It requires
at all times those who are responsible for it [to] transcend
their
differences and
act only in the interests of peace.”
425.
Mr Ismael
Gaspar Martins, Angolan Permanent Representative to the
UN,
stated that
the Council was unable to say that Iraq was free from weapons of
mass
destruction, but:
“… we are
equally unable to state unequivocally that Iraq is fully armed
with
weapons of
mass destruction or other weapons that pose a clear and
impending
threat to
international peace and security.”
255