- War against Iraq appeared to be all but inevitable after
the leaders of the US, Britain and Spain on Sunday night set a deadline
of Monday night for fading diplomatic efforts to win United Nations support
for their hardline stance.
-
- At an emergency summit in the Azores islands in mid-Atlantic,
President George W. Bush and prime ministers Tony Blair and José
Maria Aznar said they would abandon the quest for a new Security Council
resolution authorising military action if agreement had not been reached
by the end of Monday.
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- "Tomorrow is a moment of truth for the world,"
said a sombre President George W. Bush. He said it was time for the international
community to stand by its commitment to peace and security "by supporting
the immediate and unconditional disarmament of Saddam Hussein".
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- "We have reached the point of decision," said
Mr Blair.
-
- With bargaining at the UN over a British-sponsored resolution
at a near standstill since last Friday, the hastily-arranged summit had
the air of a council of war rather than a final push for a diplomatic solution.
-
- All the signs were that Mr Bush was readying to launch
military action, possibly later this week. He spoke of US plans for rebuilding
Iraq after a war, including supplying humanitarian relief and economic
support. "Clearly the president is going to have to make a very, very
difficult decision here in the next few days," said Dick Cheney, vice-president,
in Washington.
-
- The chief remaining hope for the avoidance of war appeared
to be if Mr Hussein agreed to go into exile, something to date he has shown
no sign of accepting. "If Saddam Hussein and his sons and a number
of other leaders leave . . . war can certainly be avoided," said Colin
Powell, US secretary of state.
-
- War would be the riskiest venture of Mr Bush's presidency.
But it poses a huge immediate political threat to Mr Blair, Mr Bush's closest
international ally. He needed a new UN resolution to overcome widespread
domestic opposition to war and avert a damaging rebellion within his own
Labour government.
-
- The chances of a last-minute agreement at the UN appeared
slim. Britain has made little headway in the push for a second resolution
setting a deadline of days for Iraq to disarm - in compliance with last
November's resolution 1441 - since France said it would veto the proposals
"whatever the circumstances".
-
- France, Russia and Germany issued a joint statement ahead
of the Azores summit saying there remained room for diplomacy - and warning
against force.
-
- Jacques Chirac, French president, signalled in an interview
with US television that he would be prepared to shorten the deadline for
Iraq to disarm to as little as 30 days. He called for a meeting of foreign
ministers at the Security Council today to discuss the issue. France had
earlier suggested a 120-day timetable.
-
- But the proposal was abruptly dismissed by US officials
who said giving Mr Hussein any more time would make no difference. "Right
now I don't see what purpose is to be served by another meeting when the
disagreements are so fundamental," said Mr Powell. "Iraq is playing
the United Nations and playing some of our friends in the permanent membership
of the Security Council like a fiddle."
-
- The military build-up continued over the weekend. US
officials insisted they were ready for action if ordered with 225,000 US
and more than 40,000 British troops massed mainly in and around Kuwait.
A total of 1,000 warplanes and 130 warships are also in place to join any
attack.
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