UN Set for Vote on Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 08, 2002

UN Set for Vote on Iraq

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The Security Council of the United Nations will vote on a US draft resolution to disarm Iraq on Friday. A last-minute agreement on the US draft seeking an enhanced inspection regime in Iraq was reached on Thursday as the council began its show-of-hands meeting before the final vote. As our UN correspondent Qian Jun reports, a vital change of the US draft resolution makes it set to be adopted.

At the UN headquarters in New York, council members Thursday went through word by word the controversial paragraph that declares Iraq in "further material breach" if Baghdad submits "false statements or omissions" and fails at any time to comply with the resolution-to-be. The White House has interpreted the phrase "material breach" as legal justification for a military strike but some council members wouldn't accept this.

According to a final-revised version of the draft,the controversial fourth operative paragraph of the text has been changed from "��further material breach of Iraq's obligations��will be reported to the council for assessment in accordance with paragraph 11 or 12 below" to "paragraph 11 and 12".

The single word change marks the end of the dispute over who can make judgment on a"further material breach," a sensitive phrase which may trigger the use of force. France, Russia and China want to ensure that the Security Council will be the sole decision maker, while the US preferred deliberate ambiguity.

Paragraph 11 of the text directed "the executive chairman of UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission and the Director General of the IAEA to report immediately to the council any interference by Iraq in its inspection activities, including its obligations regarding inspections under this resolution."

Paragraph 12 said the council "decides to convene immediately upon receipt of a report in accordance with paragraphs 4 or 11 above."

The word "or" would allow any member state to report a serious violation to the council. The council has to evaluate the threat, but it does not necessarily have to authorize a military strike, freeing the United States to make its own decisions.

The change from "or" to "and" makes it clear that both chief inspector's report and the council meeting are necessary conditions for justifying "further material breach".

The adoption of the resolution needs nine votes and no vetoes from the 10 elected members of the Security Council and the five permanent members.

Although Syria, the Council's only Arab member, is unclear as to how it would vote, the draft resolution is set to be adopted. Syria's request to postpone the vote until after the weekend in order to consult other Arab states was not accepted.

If the resolution is adopted, Iraq must confirm within 7 days whether it will "comply fully" with the resolution Iraq must reveal all programs, plants and materials which could be used for weapons production within 30 days. And the inspectors must be allowed to resume their checks in 45 days, and they have 60 days from their arrival to report back to the Security Council but may report violations earlier.

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