Global Policy Forum

By Terence Neilan

President Bush made it clear today that if Iraq continued to defy the United Nations over demands that it stop the production of weapons of mass destruction and its attempts to produce a nuclear bomb, then action against Baghdad "would be unavoidable."

Mr. Bush did not spell out what form that action would take, but the Bush administration has openly spoken of its desire and intention to use military force to overthow Saddam Hussein, Iraq's president.

"My nation will work with the U.N. Security Council to meet our common challenge," he told the General Assembly. "If Iraq's regime defies us again the world must move deliberately, decisively, to hold Iraq to account.

"We will work with the U.N. Security Council for the necessary resolutions. But the purposes of the United States should not be doubted.

"The Security Council resolutions will be enforced — the just demands of peace and security will be met — or action will be unavoidable. And a regime that has lost its legitimacy will also lose its power."

Mr. Bush received strong support after his speech from Capitol Hill. Republican leaders pressed Democrats to act quickly and show the world that Congress backs Mr. Bush in his resolve to confront Iraq if necessary.

"We must vote to show support for the president right now," said Senator Trent Lott, a Republican from Mississippi, the minority leader.

Senator John S. McCain of Arizona, another Republican, agreed. Mr. McCain said he would try to presuade the Senate Democratic leader, Tom Daschle of South Dakota, to debate the Iraq issue before the end of the current session.

The Republicans' comments put them in conflict with Mr. Daschle, who repeated his view that it was more important for Congress to act deliberately than quickly.

In the first Iraqi reaction, Baghdad's ambassador to the United Nations, Mohamed al-Douri, said of Mr. Bush, "He chooses to deceive the world and his own people by the longest series of fabrications that have ever been told by a leader of a nation."

Mr. Bush reserved much of his speech to referring to a long list of Security Council resolutions that he said Mr. Hussein had broken and ignored.

To end the Persian Gulf war nearly 12 years ago, Mr. Hussein had agreed to terms that were clear "to him and all," Mr. Bush said.

"He has proven instead only his contempt for the United Nations, and for all his pledges. By breaking every pledge — by his deceptions, and by his cruelties — Saddam Hussein has made the case again himself."

The president said the broken promises included those on terrorism and improving human rights in Iraq, where last year the United Nations Commission on Human Rights cited "extremely grave violations."

"In 1991, the U.N. Security Council, through Resolution 687, demanded the Iraq renounce all involvement with terrorism, and permit no terrorist organizations to operate in Iraq," Mr. Bush said.

"Iraq's regime agreed. It broke its promise."

He also said it had broken pledges not to produce long-range missiles, chemical and biological weapons.

"And in 1995 — after four years of deception — Iraq finally admitted it had a crash nuclear weapons program prior to the gulf war. We know now, were it not for that war, the regime in Iraq would likely have possessed a nuclear weapon no later than 1993."

He added: "Should Iraq acquire fissile material, it would be able to build a nuclear weapon within a year."

After citing the many occasions since 1991 on which Iraq had defied Security Council calls to readmit weapons inspectors, he said:

"As we meet today, it has been almost four years since the last U.N. inspectors set foot in Iraq — four years for the Iraqi regime to plan and build and test behind a cloak of secrecy."

"We know that Saddam Hussein pursued weapons of mass murder even when inspectors were in his country. Are we to assume that he stopped when they left?"

He added: "If the Iraqi regime wishes peace, it will immediately and unconditionally forswear, disclose and remove or destroy all weapons of mass destruction, long-range missiles and all related material.

"If the Iraqi regime wishes peace, it will immediately end all support for terrorism and act to suppress it, as all states are required to do by U.N. Security Council resolutions."

Toward the opening of his speech today, Mr. Bush drew applause from delegates by announcing that the United States would rejoin Unesco, from which it withdrew in 1984.

"This organization has been reformed and America will participate fully in its mission to advance human rights, tolerance, and learning," he said. In London today, the British government continued to voice its support for action to be taken against Baghdad.

The world should send a "clear ultimatum" to Mr. Hussein, Defense Secretary Geoffrey Hoon said.

Saying it was important for Iraq to realize the seriousness of the situation, he added:

"Therefore, a U.N. process as well as a clear ultimatum with a sting in its tail, as far as prospective military operation is concerned, is part of making it clear to Iraq just how seriously we view this situation."

His remarks followed an address by Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain on Tuesday in which he said that if the United Nations is ignored "action will follow."

Mr. Bush's address came a speech by Secretary General Kofi Annan aimed at the United States, which he did not mention by name, to work through the United Nations to achieve its goals, not to act alone. But he recognized the responsibility of the United Nations to continue to press Iraq to allow weapons inspectors back into the country.

"Any state, if attacked, retains the inherent right of self defense under Article 51 of the Charter," he said in his remarks, the text of which, in an unusual move, was issued on Wednesday.

"But beyond that," he added, "when states decide to use force to deal with broader threats to international peace and security, there is no substitute for the unique legitimacy provided by the United Nations."

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