In its first policy statement on the crisis over Iraq at the UN Security Council, Ireland is today expected to outline a position close to that of France, which has been resisting Washington's demands for a single new resolution that could trigger the use of force. France wants two resolutions, one to launch new weapons inspections and a second to decide on military force if Baghdad fails to comply.
Washington however, is insisting on one Security Council resolution that would impose harsh conditions on Baghdad and allow the immediate use of force in the event of Iraqi non-compliance. President Bush yesterday stepped up pressure on the Security Council to pass a US-framed resolution on disarming Iraq.
"The time has arrived once again for free nations to face up to our global responsibilities and confront a gathering danger," he said at a White House ceremony to mark the passing of a bill in Congress authorising him to use force against Iraq without UN approval. Mr Bush emphasised that military action would be a last resort.
However, he repeated conditions for new weapons inspections that other Security Council members, including France and Russia, have rejected. Iraq's UN Ambassador Mohammed al-Douri reiterated Iraq's agreement for a speedy return of inspectors, but accused the US of hampering their return through unacceptable conditions. "The US is trying to get a blank cheque in calling for arbitrary and impossible conditions which would be an insult to the international community" and "that are impossible to accept," Mr al-Douri told the first day of an open debate on Iraq at the UN Security Council. The debate was called by some 100 developing countries who want inspections to get a chance to work. This provoked a row with the US which asked for the debate to be delayed until after it circulated a new draft resolution later this week, as it would force countries to "nail their colours to the mast", diplomatic sources said.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Cowen was last night expected to finalise in Dublin the text of Ireland's contribution to the debate, which could have considerable implications for Ireland-US relations. Dublin's position is that any trigger for violence should be in the hands of the Security Council, an attitude that puts it firmly in France's camp.
Ireland is not expected to oppose a tough new resolution on inspections, but would find several proposed US conditions unacceptable. These include the ability of inspectors to take Iraqi officials and their families out of the country for interrogation, allowing any permanent council member to nominate inspection sites and receive inspectors' reports directly, creating a two-way intelligence flow to Washington, and permitting the US to make an independent assessment on compliance.
At the same time diplomats are worried that a two-stage resolution would put the trigger for war in the hands of chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix. The UK is trying to mediate between the US and other council members to forge a compromise, UN diplomats said. Russia deputy foreign minister Yuri Fedotov said yesterday the US proposed resolution was unacceptable, while a two-step proposal from France is closer to Moscow's position.
Mr Bush repeated yesterday that "I have not ordered use of force. I hope the use of force will not become necessary. Yet, confronting the threat posed by Iraq is necessary by whatever means that requires."