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Is the US acting as a sole superpower by snubbing UN? Post your views

United Nations: Chances of the Security Council adopting a resolution on military and political future of Iraq before President George W Bush address at the General Assembly on September 23 appear dim, even though the American administration is working overtime to redesign its draft resolution which was rejected by France and Germany.

At the UN headquarters, Secretary General Kofi Annan held discussions with Ambassadors of the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council on Iraq on September 16.

But after the meeting, the Ambassadors had little to say beyond what is already known. Annan apparently wanted to exchange views as the United Nations is slated to get major role in some areas if the Council is able to agree on a draft.

In the discussion on the language of the resolution, the permanent five members – United States, Britain, Russia, France and China – are not taking the ten non-permanent members into confidence and they would be presented the draft only after the five have finalised it.

Though the American officials had been working to get the resolution through the Council before Bush's September 23 address, they now say that there is no deadline and that the details were still being worked out.

That shows the resolution is unlikely to be taken up in next two weeks as the world leaders address the Assembly. But it is bound to be discussed on the sidelines of the Assembly as Bush meets with world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, and in several bilateral meetings that would take place.

PTI