3.8 |
Development of UK strategy and options, 8 to 20 March
2003
1010.
Mr Arias
said Saddam Hussein was responsible for the suspension of
inspections:
“Through
his ongoing policy of deceit, concealment and delaying tactics, he
has
decided to
openly opt for the path of confrontation, contravening the
interests of
his people
and the demands of the Security Council.”
The draft
resolution tabled by the US, UK and Spain was “designed to
ratchet up the
pressure on
the Iraqi regime” and had “in fact, offered Saddam Hussein
another
opportunity”.
1011.
Mr Arias
stated that resolution1441 recognised that Iraq’s non-compliance
with
the
Council’s resolutions constituted a threat to international peace
and security; that the
Council had
met “many times to examine successive reports of the inspectors”.
Iraq had
“still not
complied with the will of the international community as had been
demanded …
Therefore,
peace and security continue unassured.”
1012.
Mr Juan
Gabriel Valdés, Chilean Permanent Representative to the UN,
stated
that Chile
had been convinced that “the inspections programme – strengthened,
zealous
and
investigative, carried to its logical conclusion and accompanied by
growing and
persistent
military pressure – was capable of achieving … the peaceful
disarmament
of Iraq.”
The Council:
“… needed
to make clear to the regime of Saddam Hussein that the United
Nations
would move
towards the disarmament of Iraq at any cost. The Council should
have
cultivated
its internal unity …
“That was
not possible. We fear that the consequences will be serious for
humanity.
The Iraqi
regime never understood the dimension of its lethargy and did
not
appreciate
the gravity of the punishment to which it was exposing its own
people …
the Council
was unable to find … the flexibility needed to set deadlines and to
define
a path of
collective action that would have enabled it to shoulder the
responsibilities
entrusted
to it by the Charter of the United Nations. Today, every one of us
must
assume his
part of the responsibility.”
1013.
Mr Valdés
continued that it was “not the time for recriminations”; and that
nothing
could be
more serious than suspending the inspections process which “could
create
doubts
concerning the validity of this instrument”. He
concluded:
“The
Security Council … must now work tirelessly, inspired by the
objective of
preserving
life and restoring peace. Perhaps if we do everything that we can
and
save as
many lives as we can, the millions of people in the world who have
now
lost faith
in our capacity to make the world a civilised place may again lend
their
inspiration
to our tasks.”
1014.
Mr Helder
Lucas, Angolan Deputy Permanent Representative to the
UN,
deplored
the “fact that the inspectors were unable to complete their task of
disarming
Iraq of its
weapons of mass destruction. Angola also deplored the “fact that
Iraq was
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