US attempts to win over sceptical UN
The United States administration is attempting to win over sceptics in the United Nations Security Council with its latest resolution on Iraq.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell is meeting German leaders, including Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer today in a bid to garner support for coalition plans.
The two countries had fallen out after Chancellor Schroeder refused to back the war with Iraq and criticised America’s actions.
The allies are seeking a complete end to economic sanctions imposed on Iraq by the UN, in order to start exporting oil, but they need to gain the support of several key members who were opposed to war.
The US is expected to start trying to rebuild bridges with France, Germany, Russia and China, countries vehemently against war with Iraq. Mr Powell has already visited Russia, where he held talks with President Vladimir Putin but failed to win his support.
Mr Powell told German television today: ‘We are friends and allies. The last several months have been very very difficult. We had a basic disagreement.’
But he continued: ‘One way to get started is to begin cooperating with each other now on such issues as the UN resolution.’
The draft resolution, tabled by the UK, Spain and America, proposes an end to economic and trade sanctions on Iraq. However, it would also give the US the right to control the sale of Iraqi oil and administer the distribution of oil revenues, with no clear role for the UN. France and Russia have voiced their opposition to the plans and are demanding the return of UN weapons inspectors to Iraq.
A revised draft of the resolution was submitted to the UN yesterday and gives a slightly larger role to the UN in the reconstruction of Iraq and proposes ways to pay off Iraq’s huge international debt, which could be as high as $400 billion. Russia is owed a large sum and is keen to ensure that it will be paid back in full.
However, the US has dismissed suggestions that weapons inspectors’ return to Iraq and the current resolution still gives the Bush administration control over the country for the foreseeable future.
