Further Action against Iraq must Agree with UN Charter, Countries Say

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, September 13, 2002

Further Action against Iraq must Agree with UN Charter, Countries Say

Norway and Brazil said Thursday that political and diplomatic efforts have not yet been exhausted on the issue of Iraq, and any further action against Iraq must be in keeping with the UN Charter.

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Norway and Brazil said Thursday that political and diplomatic efforts have not yet been exhausted on the issue of Iraq, and any further action against Iraq must be in keeping with the UN Charter.

Kjell Magne, prime minister of Norway, said at the general debate of the 57th General Assembly session "It is up to the Iraqileadership to allay international fears and to prove that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction. It is up to (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein to step out of isolation, and bring Iraqback into the world community."

"Political and diplomatic efforts to achieve these goals have not yet been exhausted," he said, suggesting that time is not ripeat the moment for the military action against Baghdad.

However, he did not give up the demand for Iraq to fully carry out relevant UN Security Council resolutions, which require the impeded access for the UN arms inspectors to resume their work in Iraq.

"Iraq must address the unresolved disarmament issues in accordance with Security Council resolutions," he said. "This means immediate and unconditional cooperation with UN weapons inspectors."

"Iraq must comply with UN demands immediately," he said. "The responsibility for noncompliance lies on Iraq alone. Further action by the international community must be rooted in the UN."

The prime minister made the statement at a time when US President George W. Bush said that the military action against Iraq is "unavoidable."

Bush, in his speech at the general debate, warned that the United States is prepared to act militarily against Iraq without the United Nations if Baghdad is not made to honor previous commitments to disarm and allow UN inspectors inside Iraq.

Also at the general debate, Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Lafer said, "The use of force at the international level is only admissible once all diplomatic alternatives have been exhausted."

"Force must only be exercised in accordance with the Charter ofthe United Nations and in a manner consistent with the determination of the Security Council," he said.

"Otherwise, the credibility of the organization will be undermined in a manner that is not only illegitimate, but that also give rise to situations of precarious and short-lived stability," he said.

"In the specific case of Iraq, Brazil believes that it is incumbent on the Security Council to determine the necessary measures to ensure full compliance with the relevant (UN) resolutions," the foreign minister said.

"The exercise by the Security Council of its responsibilities is the way to reduce tensions and to avoid risking the unpredictable consequences resulting from wider instability," he added.

Representatives from Bulgaria, Brazil, Denmark and Lithuania Thursday also echoed the remarks by the Brazilian foreign minister,calling on Iraq to fully implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions promptly and without any conditions.

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