3.8 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March
2003
1000.
Mr Farouk
al-Sharaa, the Syrian Foreign Minister, reminded the Council of
the
“most
important commitment” in the United Nations Charter “to practice
tolerance and
live
together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite
our strength to
maintain
international peace and security”. He questioned whether the US
“and its ally,
the United
Kingdom” could absolve themselves of the responsibility for the
difficulties
of finding
constructive solutions for the problems in Iraq and Palestine. He
suggested
that a “war
of aggression” was about to be unleashed which was “unfair and
unjustified”
and would
“come back to haunt those who have advocated and promoted it,
instead of
enhancing
their status in history”.
1001.
Drawing
attention to Israel’s rejection of international inspection and
supervision,
Mr al-Shara’
stated that Syria had supported resolution 1441 because of
its:
“… belief
in supporting the international will to find a peaceful solution to
the Iraqi
crisis and
to eliminate Iraqi weapons of mass destruction through peaceful
means.”
1002.
Mr al-Shara’
said that “the majority of the members of the Council rejected
the
idea of
adopting a draft resolution authorising the use of force”. He
expressed “extreme
regret and
concern at attempts by some to call into question the role of the
Security
Council in
particular, and the United Nations in general, simply because they
did not
succeed in
imposing their will and positions on the Council and the United
Nations”.
He was
highly critical of those who had “reneged” on resolution 1441,
alleging that
the objective
was not to disarm Iraq “but to occupy it and usurp its natural
resources”.
He
questioned whether Iraq represented a threat to the US, pointing
out that Al Qaida
had active
or sleeper cells in more than 150 countries.
1003.
Mr al-Shara’
concluded that the “letter and the spirit” of the ultimatum
issued
by the US
led Syria to conclude that the objective was “the removal or the
bringing to
justice of
an individual or a group of individuals”. Syria urged “those
concerned to shut
down
the machinery of war” and to spare the lives of:
“… millions
of innocent Iraqis as well as the lives of their new oppressors who
are
marching
thousands of miles … holding up the banner of liberation like a
myth.
Many people
– including many Americans – have stood against the foreign
occupier
in defence
of liberty and independence. That is the logic of history … that
will
continue …”
1004.
Mr Akram
stated that Pakistan had “consistently advocated a peaceful
solution”.
He stressed
“that every possible avenue should be exhausted to secure a
peaceful
solution,
and that the use of force must be the very last resort”. Pakistan
believed that
the
programme of work identified by Dr Blix “could have provided a
useful basis for the
completion
of the disarmament process … if Iraq’s full and unconditional
co-operation
579