- CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters)
- President Bush said on Friday he had asked Chinese President Jiang Zemin
to back a tough new U.N. resolution demanding Iraq give up its weapons
programs or face the consequences.
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- "China supports Iraq's strict compliance with U.N.
Security Council resolutions," Bush told reporters after meeting Jiang
at his Texas ranch. "And today ... I urged President Jiang to support
a new Security Council resolution demanding Iraq fully disarm itself of
weapons of mass destruction."
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- The proposed U.S. resolution gives U.N. arms inspectors
far-reaching rights and privileges in ferreting out any weapons of mass
destruction programs in Iraq.
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- It declares Iraq in "material breach" of U.N.
resolutions and warns Iraq of "serious consequences" if it thwarts
U.N. weapons inspections -- language Russia and France fear the United
States can interpret as sufficient for military action.
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- China, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council
along with the United States, Russia, France and Britain, has the power
of veto. Beijing has indicated it would abstain.
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- Bush said the resolution "must be one which does
the job of holding (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein to account."
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- "That includes a vigorous, new and vibrant inspections
regime, the purpose of which is disarm -- not inspections for the sake
of inspections," Bush said. "Any resolution which will be effective
must have -- there will be -- consequences."
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- Bush has said if the United Nations does not take tough
action to disarm Baghdad, the United States and some of its allies will.
Congress has passed a resolution authorizing Bush to use military force
against Iraq if necessary.
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