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US sets deadline for Iraq, Bush kicks off last diplomatic battle
( 2003-03-09 08:53 ) ()

US President Bush and his top officials prepared for a final diplomatic scramble, trying to garner support for a US-backed proposal that gives Saddam Hussein until March 17 to disarm or face war. Though Bush called battle with Iraq a "last resort," an increasingly solid impasse at the United Nations makes clear that chances for a peaceful settlement on Iraq are increasingly remote.

The new deadline was offered lately by US, Britain and Spain for the UN Security Council to consider, but the measure appears likely to face a veto and US officials - including Bush - have made explicit that they are set to wage war on Iraq with or without U.N. approval.

Bush himself was unwavering Saturday.

"As a last resort, we must be willing to use military force," the president said in his weekly radio address. "Unfortunately, it is clear that Saddam Hussein is still violating the demands of the United Nations by refusing to disarm."

Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell and national security adviser Condoleezza Rice planned to lobby allies by telephone through the weekend and up until next week's planned vote on the new resolution. Aides did not rule out travel for the three.

Bush spoke with fellow leaders by phone in personal requests for support and stayed at the White House for the weekend, where a few thousand anti-war protesters gathered off the back lawn.

The president usually spends weekends at Camp David, but remained in town to attend Saturday evening's annual Gridiron dinner. However, Bush would eschew the traditional presidential comedy routine in favor of serious remarks to the gathered media elite, a spokesman said.

The weekend of diplomacy came after reports Friday to the Security Council by chief weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohammed ElBaradei. But the inspectors' updates were largely overshadowed by the proposal of the March 17 deadline, offered in an amendment to a resolution already on the table that would authorize war.

Though the new resolution was offered by the United States, Britain and Spain, other nations have bristled at what they feel is undue pressure from the United States. The Bush administration's repeated position that it does not require UN approval for war has only fueled that frustration.

The Security Council met for 3 and half hours behind closed doors Friday night to consider the proposal and agreed to meet again Monday afternoon. Diplomats said the United States and its allies would seek a vote on Tuesday.

Efforting his own strategy against a war resolution, French President Jacques Chirac asked other heads of state Saturday to join an emergency summit of Security Council members to search for compromise on Iraq. His foreign minister, Dominique de Villepin, planned to visit Africa and personally lobby the leaders of Angola, Cameroon and Guinea - all on the council.

Britain remained confident of support for the March 17 deadline. "We are at a difficult time, but I believe that by the process of argument we should be able to get to a point where we can get a second resolution," Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the BBC.

Meanwhile, Iraq destroyed more Al Samoud 2 missiles, resuming a UN-supervised process. It destroyed six missiles Saturday, adding to 34 missiles and two casting chambers already destroyed. The scrapping of the rockets, whose range exceeds the 93-mile limit allowed by U.N. resolutions, began March 1.

Not only must the United States avoid a Security Council veto by any of the five permanent members, it must win the votes of nine of the 15 members to pass its resolution. US diplomats hope to demonstrate support among a clear majority, which might persuade opposing powers to abstain.

They have a solid ally in Britain, which officially proposed the new deadline. But judging from tense exchanges in the Security Council chamber Friday, any lobbying effort will be difficult.

The French have been most vocal against the use of force - with de Villepin telling council members Friday that Straw's proposal of the March 17 deadline would be "a pretext for war." China and Russia, the remaining two permanent members, also could torpedo the resolution. They both rejected it Friday.

Bush, meantime, conferred by phone with officials in Singapore and Peru. He also called President Ricardo Lagos of Chile, another council member. But Lagos said Saturday he felt the March 17 deadline was too soon.

So far, only three council members besides the United States appear sure to back the resolution: Britain and Spain, which co-sponsored it, plus Bulgaria.

Angola indicated it might abstain, and Pakistan appeared to be leaning away from the US position.

Iraq's UN ambassador, Mohammed Al-Douri, said Friday that he was confident the resolution would not pass. "They don't have the votes," he said. "I don't think the international community wants to go to war right now."