US Presents UN Resolution on Multinational Force for Liberia

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 31, 2003

US Presents UN Resolution on Multinational Force for Liberia

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The United States on Wednesday presented the UN Security Council a draft resolution seeking authorization of deploying a multinational force in Liberia, but diplomats in the United Nations confirmed Washington remain reluctant to take the lead of such a force.

The measure, circulated at a closed-door council consultation, called on the United Nations to be ready to replace the multinational force with its own peacekeeping troops no later than Oct. 1.

The draft requested UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to submit to the council recommendations for the size, structure and mandate of the UN force by Aug. 15.

Based on early suggestions of Annan, the resolution also authorized the UN peacekeeping mission to extend the necessary logistical support to the deployment of troops from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Liberia.

But it did not mention whether the United States would participate in the multinational force, of which ECOWAS troops serve as a vanguard.

Diplomats here revealed that at the council debate the US stillrefused to give a clear answer to calls from Annan and the international community to lead the multinational intervention force.

They confirmed that many council members, especially those fromEurope, expressed their reservations about a provision exempting members of both the multinational force and the subsequent UN force from prosecution.

The provision is apparently aimed at giving peacekeepers immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC)based in The Hague. The Bush administration has been a strong opponent of the ICC.

The diplomats said the US also declined to pledge more financial assistance for the deployment of the multinational forcethan the 10 million US dollars it offered last week.

Annan, who also participated in the meeting, would likely turn to Europe for funds to put the multinational force in place, they said.

Lack of funds and logistical support has repeatedly delayed thedeployment of the planned 1,500-strong ECOWAS vanguard troops in Liberia, where fierce fighting in the capital Monrovia was brewinga humanitarian crisis.

US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte told reporters that experts from council members would examine the draft resolution Thursday.

At a news conference before the meeting, Annan expressed his opposition to giving blanket exemption to peacekeepers from ICC prosecution.

"The kind of crimes that we are talking about have never occurred with United Nations peacekeepers -- they have never been anywhere near there," he noted.

"I have made clear my own view that some of the discussions that took place in the council with regard to an attempt to have ablanket exemption for 12 months were really not necessary if it was intended to protect peacekeepers."

The international community has repeatedly called on the US to intervene in Liberia, founded by freed American slaves in 1847. But Washington has so far only ordered several warships to take positions off the coast of Liberia.

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