United Nations: Canada has proposed a three-week ultimatum to Iraq to demonstrate
that it is conclusively complying with the UN Security Council's demands on
disarmament and co-operating on substance with weapons inspectors or face possible
war.
Should Iraq comply with the tasks set, then another deadline would be fixed for
further tasks and the process would go on until Baghdad is completely disarmed of it
weapons of mass destruction, it said.
The proposal, which was commended to the Council by Canadian Ambassador Paul
Heinbecker during debate on Iraq, would authorise the use of force unless the
Council concludes, on the basis of inspectors' report that Iraq is complying.
The proposal offered as compromise between the extreme and apparently irreconcilable
positions taken by the United States and France has the authorisation to use of
force, if Iraq fails to comply as one of the basic elements.
France so far has maintained that it would veto any resolution, which gives
ultimatum to Iraq and acceptance of the Canadian proposal would require a
fundamental change in position taken by Paris.
The Canadian proposal gives more time to Iraq to comply than the US-British-Spanish
resolution, which sets March 17 as the deadline. But it does not meet the demand of
the French, who want inspections to continue without any deadline.
The new proposal show a change in Canada's position, which earlier proposed setting
March 28 as the deadline for Iraq to comply, but then another resolution was needed
to authorise use of force.
Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix would be expected to set the tasks that Iraq
should comply and Baghdad must show that it is complying on substance and not only
on process.
"To keep the pressure on Iraq, the Council should consider authorising member states
now to eventually use all necessary means to force compliance unless inspectors
conclude that it is complying," Heinbecker said.
If Iraq co-operates, its disarmament could be completed without firing a shot, he
said.
But whether it would acceptable to other members who oppose use of force was yet
unclear.
PTI
