Washington: As weather hots up in the Persian Gulf desert, US Secretary of State
Colin Powell has opposed giving more and more time to the UN inspectors in Iraq and
reiterated US will lead the possible attack if UN fails to disarm Saddam
Hussein.
"Let us wait and see what (UN Chief Weapons Inspector Hans) Blix and (International
Atomic Energy Agency chief Muhamad) El Baradei say on February 14. But I do not think
we can keep stringing this out and giving them more and more time," Powell said on
ABC-TV on February 9.
Powell alleged Iraq is "trying to stretch this out in the hope that it will just sort
of dissipate and fall apart and everybody will go walking away."
"We will be faced with the same situation we were faced with last year... and we have
this dictatorial regime that has not given up its commitment to developing weapons of
mass destruction, to threaten its neighbours and to threaten the world," he
added.
About the inherent dangers of trying to dethrone Saddam, Powell said, "We cannot
ignore danger. We cannot turn away from this challenge... it is time to resolve this
challenge once and for all."
"And if the UN is to remain relevant, if we are going to have any standing in the
world as a leader of the world that wants to be free, this is the time for the US,
working with the UN or working with willing members of a coalition, to deal with
this problem once and for all."
He said if the UN is not capable of dealing with the issue, "then the President, with
a lot of nations joining in, will deal with it."
PTI
