February 4, 2003
British Prime Minister Tony Blair failed today to persuade France to join a U.S.-led coalition ready to take quick military action against Iraq. Despite intense pressure by Blair, French President Jacques Chirac said he remained steadfastly opposed to war against Baghdad unless U.N. inspectors were given all the time they needed to search for banned weapons.
Asked how much time the weapons inspectors should have-- weeks or months-- Chirac responded: "I can't put a timeframe on it. It's up to them to decide." "There is still much to be done in the way of disarmament by peaceful means," Chirac said.
He also refused to say whether France would use its veto as one of five permanent members of the Security Council to block a resolution authorizing military action against Iraq. France has hinted in the past it might be willing to do so. In an interview on national television late last month, Chirac indicated he favored granting a request by the United Nation's chief inspectors for several more months to determine whether Saddam Hussein's government is hiding weapons of mass destruction.
France is waiting to see what U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and chief U.N. weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei will say to the U.N. Security Council in the upcoming days. Bidding for U.N. support, Powell is set to present evidence Wednesday to the U.N. Security Council that Iraq has hidden large caches of weapons of mass destruction from international inspectors and has defied calls to disarm.Blix and ElBaradei are to report to the Security Council Feb. 14 on the progress of inspections and Iraq's cooperation. The report will likely play a crucial role in the council's decision on next steps in Iraq.
"I think we should take account of it very carefully," Blair said at a joint new conference. Blair said the two leaders continued to view handling of the Iraq crisis differently but that it was important to focus on the "common points: support for the notion of disarming Iraq and belief this is best pursued through the U.N." Blair has been a key backer of the Bush administration's position that time is running out for Saddam and force may be the only solution. Britain is sending 35,000 troops to the Persian Gulf to prepare for a possible war.
Chirac, however, has been the lead advocate for a slower approach. He insists the decision on whether to go to war rests with the Security Council-- not the United States. Blair supports Bush's stance that U.N. backing might not be necessary. But his government has stressed that it would be better to win Security Council support, which means winning over France.
On an interview on France's RTL radio, British Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane said: "As a friend of France, I find it difficult to believe that France won't wind up supporting the authority of the United Nations." On Monday, Blair told the British parliament that the United Nations could be discredited if it fails to follow through on demands that Saddam disarm. "Show weakness now and no one will ever believe us when we try to show strength in the future," the British leader said.
Last week, eight European leaders, including Blair, wrote a statement of support for Bush that appeared in newspapers around the world, indirectly reprimanding France and Germany for mounting pressure against U.S. preparations for war. Germany has said flatly it would not participate in any military operation against Iraq.
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