FRANCE: Despite the severe tone of Dr Hans Blix's report yesterday, French officials insisted that his summation of the first two months of UN weapons inspections proved that Paris was right to emphasise the need for a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis.
France
"The reports by Messrs Blix and Baradei confirm the choice of co-operation, which is that of France," Mr Dominique de Villepin, the French Foreign Minister, said.
The reports "should make it possible for the inspectors to cast light on the shadows that subsisted ... The reports clearly state which questions remain to be resolved. This confirms for us the importance of the inspectors continuing, and our desire that they be even more efficient."
Asked whether, 60 days after the beginning of inspections, Iraq's failure to explain the fate of VS nerve agents and anthrax it had produced constitutes "material breach" of resolution 1441, Mr de Villepin evaded the question. And he seemed to reject the idea of a deadline by which Iraq would be required to account for them.
"Let us stay within resolution 1441, which established the appropriate framework for the international community," the French minister said. "The resolution sets no deadline."
There have been indications in recent days that France might compromise on its past insistence on a second UN Security Council resolution in the event of military action against Iraq, but Mr de Villepin said there was no need for the Security Council to take decisions at this stage.
French officials are understood to have been relieved by the more positive report delivered by Dr ElBaradei, who is concerned only with the search for nuclear weapons. They do not consider the short-range missile tests mentioned by Dr Blix to be a serious problem, but are concerned about the missing anthrax and VX agents.
At least three times, Mr de Villepin stressed the need for unity in the international community, saying he was "delighted" that he and his EU colleagues reached agreement on the necessity of continuing inspections.
President Jacques Chirac consulted the Russian and Chinese presidents by telephone at the weekend. He and Mr de Villepin received the Egyptian foreign minister yesterday and will see the Saudi foreign minister today. -
