- Russia said it would not back a new UN resolution on
Iraq that threatens Baghdad with the automatic use of force should it obstruct
weapons inspections.
-
- "In our opinion, it is not constructive to present
Iraq with an ultimatum without first having an objective picture"
of Baghdad's alleged programs of weapons of mass destruction, Russian Deputy
Foreign Minister Alexander Saltanov told a conference on Iraq held here.
-
- "The document presented to us by the Britons and
Americans has only strengthened our assurance that our stand in favor of
a quick re-launch of inspections and monitoring in Iraq, and the general
settlement without the automatic use of force, is correct," Interfax
news agency separately quoted him as saying.
-
- Saltanov said Russia, which has veto power as a permanent
member of the UN Security Council, was instead preparing its own UN resolution
seeing weapons inspectors return to Iraq and the international community
lift its sanctions against Baghdad.
-
- "This is a so-called package deal," said Saltanov,
who holds the foreign ministry brief on Iraq.
-
- Moscow had inched back Wednesday from total opposition
to a new UN resolution on Iraq, saying for the first time that it would
consider a new text laying out international demands to Baghdad.
-
- A Soviet-era ally of Baghdad, Moscow has made repeated
efforts to ensure the return of inspectors, and has hailed Iraq's decision
last month to provide unfettered access to a UN team.
-
- But the United States and Britain, which accuse Iraq
of developing nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, are pressing for
a strong resolution that would authorize the use of force in the event
of Iraqi obstructionism.
-
- The new US-British resolution would give Baghdad seven
days to declare all its weapons of mass destruction programs or face military
action, and another 23 days to cooperate fully with UN inspection teams.
-
- Both Washington and London sent top diplomats to Moscow
over the weekend to convince Russia to support their stance.
-
- But those talks have had only mixed results, with Saltanov's
comments suggesting that Russia was not convinced by arguments presented
by the US and British negotiators.
-
- The remarks came during a round-table meeting attended
by a senior Iraqi delegation which repeatedly reminded those present Thursday
that Russia had oil interests in Iraq -- as well as nearly eight billion
dollars in debts owed by Baghdad -- that stood to vanish should there be
a war.
-
- Russia's view appears to now be closely in line with
that of France, which also has veto power on the UN Security Council, and
whose President Jacques Chirac late Wednesday said he opposed the ultimatum
from US President George W. Bush.
-
- France favors two resolutions on Iraq -- one on the return
of UN arms inspectors to the country, and a second if Baghdad fails to
comply.
-
- UN inspector Hans Blix on Tuesday announced a deal with
Baghdad -- struck in Vienna -- on the return of inspectors based on previous
UN resolutions.
-
- But as before, the agreement was subject to restrictions
on entering eight massive "presidential sites" of Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein.
-
- That deal was rejected by Washington, which has sought
to avoid a unilateral strike against Baghdad by agreeing a deal that forces
Iraq to open up all possible sites to inspectors within a specific time,
or else be attacked.
-
- But such a position, said the Russian deputy foreign
minister, was not in Moscow's interest.
-
- "Any military solution will have negative consequences
for Russia's interests. We think we have to continue doing all we can to
search for a political solution. A military solution, especially one that
comes without a UN resolution, will not resolve the Iraqi problem,"
Saltanov said.
-
-
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