The United States and United Kingdom began talks inside the Security Council August 21 about the possibility of a new resolution to encourage additional international support for Iraq and strengthen the role of the United Nations (UN) in restoring the country.
Discussions on a third Security Council resolution since May intensified as Secretary of State Colin Powell and British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw arrived at UN Headquarters August 21 while the 15-nation Security Council held both public and private sessions on Iraq.
Powell told journalists after meeting with Secretary General Kofi Annan that the United States would explore the possibility of a new resolution to "reaffirm our determination to succeed in Iraq" and perhaps encourage other countries to contribute troops.
On economic issues, US Ambassador John Negroponte said, "we mentioned first of all the question of frozen Iraqi assets abroad and the fact that we felt that the flow of those assets into the Development Fund for Iraq was disappointingly slow. Second, what steps, if any, the council might take to encourage robust participation in the donor's conference in Madrid that's scheduled for the 24th of October." — (menareport.com)
© 2003 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
