3.7 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 1 February to 7 March
2003
had
demonstrated full, unconditional, immediate and active co-operation
in
accordance
with its disarmament obligations and was yielding
possession
of all weapons
and proscribed material to UNMOVIC and the IAEA.
1099.
Mr Fischer
stated that the international community was united in its
condemnation
of the
Iraqi regime but had different views about how to achieve that
“common goal”.343
He added
that the briefings from Dr Blix and Dr ElBaradei made
clear that Iraq’s
co‑operation
did “not yet fully meet” the UN’s demands. Iraq “could have taken
many
of its
recent steps earlier and more willingly”, but co-operation had
“notably improved”.
That was “a
positive development” which made it “all the less comprehensible
why that
development
should now be abandoned”.
1100.
In line with
the French/German/Russian joint memorandum presented to
the
Security
Council on 24 February, Mr Fischer called for a “tough regime
of intensive
inspections”
with “a time frame for every single problem”. Dr Blix and
Dr ElBaradei
should
present the Security Council “with a detailed, comprehensive
working
programme …
without delay”.
1101.
Mr Fischer
added that the disarmament of Iraq had to be “pursued
energetically
and
systematically” and the Iraqi Government had to co-operate fully
with the inspectors.
But there
was “no need for a second resolution” and the use of force:
peaceful means
were “very
far from having been exhausted”. Progress in recent days showed
that there
were
“efficient alternatives to war”. Taking that path would “strengthen
the relevance of
the United
Nations and the Security Council”.
1102.
Mr Farouk
al-Sharaa, the Syrian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for
Foreign
Affairs,
reminded the Council of calls by the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab
Summit
and others
for the inspectors to be given time to complete their work. Syria
was
“confident”
that the United Nations, which represented the “will of the
international
community”,
would opt for peace.
1103.
Mr Derbez
expressed concern about the “lack of active, immediate and
effective
co-operation”
from the Iraqi regime. But Mexico was “greatly distressed” by the
erosion
of
relationships and common values caused by different visions of how
to disarm Iraq
and
“worried by the distance” between members of the Council.
Mr Derbez called on
members to
“avoid taking up inflexible positions”.
1104.
Mr Derbez
stated that Mexico:
•
called on
the Iraqi Government “radically [to] change its attitude” to “carry
out
immediately
clear and unequivocal actions” to demonstrate it had chosen
the
path of
disarmament;
•
was
“convinced that we have to explore all options and take advantage
of all
opportunities
to resolve this issue in a peaceful manner”;
343
UN Security
Council, ‘4714th Meeting Friday 7 March 2003’
(S/PV.4714).
379