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Despite an ongoing worldwide diplomatic drive to seek a peaceful solution to the Iraq crisis, the United States is pressing for a new UN resolution on Iraq authorizing the use of force to disarm Iraq, saying it would present a draft to the UN Security Council soon and push for an early vote on it.
US President George W. Bush said on Saturday that the United States and supportive countries would present a proposed draft resolution on Iraq to the 15-member Security Council contending that Iraq was failing to fulfill its obligations under a November 8 resolution.
Speaking to the press after meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Aznar at his Texas ranch, Bush said: "Early next week, working with our friends and allies, we will introduce an additional Security Council resolution that will set out in clear and simple terms that Iraq is not complying with Resolution 1441."
"We will discuss this resolution with members of the Security Council and we will hear again from Chief (UN weapons) Inspector (Hans) Blix," he said.
The president said Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein "has no intention of disarming."
He added that he was not willing to wait two months for the UN Security Council to adopt a new resolution.
"Time is short," he said. "This is the chance for the Security Council to show its relevance, and I believe the Security Council will show its relevance because Saddam Hussein has not disarmed."
"He (Saddam Hussein) has no intention of disarming, otherwise he would have done so," Bush added.
Britain, the staunchest ally of the United States in a possible war against Iraq, on Saturday expressed the hope that the UN Security Council would vote on the new UN draft resolution on Iraq within a few weeks after it is presented to the UN.
Britain and the United States were expected to propose the draft to the Security Council, but will hold it off for a few weeks before calling a vote to give Iraq a last chance to comply, reports quoted a Downing Street spokesman as saying.
"The prime minister will expect that there could be a period of a few weeks that will pass before that resolution will be voted on in the UN," the spokesman said, adding that Tony Blair would make "a final push for peace" next week.
"The onus remains squarely on Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to bring a peaceful end to the crisis," he said.
US defence officials said on Saturday that the US military hopes to deploy its troops to Turkey soon to take part in a largely looming war against Iraq under a tentative deal between the two countries.
Washington sees Turkey as the springboard for any military thrust into Iraq. The two sides are discussing a US aid package to Turkey before Ankara allows Washington to use Turkish bases for a possible war on Iraq.
Reports said the two sides on Saturday reached a tentative deal after days of bargaining, paving the way for the deployment of US troops in Turkey.
The United States plans to deploy about 40,000 troops in Turkey.
Reports said around 250 US troops bound for Turkey arrived late Thursday at a Romanian air base near the Black Sea port of Constanta, part of a buildup of forces for a possible war on Iraq.
(China Daily February 25, 2003)
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