London: In a clear indication of possibility of a war against Iraq, Britain on
February 5 rebuffed French President Jacques Chirac's suggestion that action against
Baghdad be delayed while UN inspectors searched for banned weapons.
"The calls for more time are futile so long as President Saddam Hussein refuses to
co-operate. We must not allow endless calls for more time to become a cop-out,"
British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw wrote in "The Times", a leading London
daily.
Straw said Iraq's non-compliance stretches back not just 60 days but 600 weeks. "For
the past 13 years, Saddam has typified the threats the world faces in the post-Cold
War era.
Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are a rather abstract phrase. But it covers
poisonous gases, chemical weapons, and viruses for deadly diseases like anthrax and
smallpox, biological weapons, as well as nuclear missiles and bombs.
"Saddam has not only developed but used WMD in contravention of international arms
control agreements and a host of UN resolutions. He has been a constant supporter of
terrorist causes."
Straw's article reinforces the stark differences over the timing of military action
evident at British Prime Minister Tony Blair's summit with President Chirac in Le
Touquet on February 4.
The two leaders clashed over how long the inspectors should be given to finish their
work, with Chirac saying they should have as much time as they needed.
PTI
