UNITED NATIONS, January 15: The United States on Wednesday obtained a fresh unanimous denunciation of Iraq by the 15-member UN security council, but signalled that patience was running out.British and US ambassadors meanwhile expressed concern about allegations that Iraq had tested biological and chemical weapons on human guinea pigs, saying that the reports underscored the need for UN inspectors to have full access to sites.
The five Security Council permanent members papered over their policy cracks on Iraq and agreed to a statement which "deplores the statement of the Iraqi official spokesman of January 12, 1998". On Tuesday, Iraq carried out its threat of cutting off cooperation with UN arms inspectors who were headed by US national Scott Ritter, until the "political imbalance" of the UN inspection teams is changed.
The Security Council said on Wednesday that Iraq's failure to provide full, unconditional and immediate access to all Iraqi sites was "unacceptable and a clear violation" of the UN
resolutions. The council asked UN special commission chief Richard Butler to report back on his forthcoming visit to Baghdad, scheduled for January.
Meanwhile, conflicting reports have come up in the United States about President Bill Clinton's intentions on possible use of force against Iraq. "Clinton is determined to use force -- the US has 300 warplanes in the region -- unless Saddam Hussein unconditionally agrees to UN weapons inspectors going wherever they want to under team leaders of the UN's choice," CBS-TV quoted an official as saying. The implication is that the US will strike soon against a country which has no significant resources to defend itself, the CBS-TV said. However, The Washington Times says that "Saddam again has US in a tough spot".
"With little international support for using military force, deep suspicions in the Arab world because of the floundering Middle East peace talks and Saddam's refusal to play by the rules, the White House has settled in for a long test of wills,"
The Washington Times says. White House press secretary Michael McCurry said: "This is `steady as it goes' diplomacy, diplomacy designed to keep the Security Council together."
It is obvious to analysts that the present crisis was contrived. It was well known that the Iraqis would object to former marine Scott Ritter leading a team consisting of an unusual number of Americans and their only supporters in the Security Council, the British.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
