The United States said on Wednesday it doubted either Russia or China would veto a new U.N. Security Council resolution designed to pave the way for war on Iraq.
The comments were made by a senior U.S. administration official speaking on condition of anonymity to Reuters.
The resolution circulated at the United Nations earlier this week by the United States, Britain and Spain says Baghdad has missed a "final opportunity" to disarm peacefully.
The senior U.S. official, speaking in Moscow, said he doubted China and Russia would use their vetoes despite their public stance that U.N. inspectors should be given more time. It should be noted that currently Undersecretary of State, John Bolton, is visiting in Russia.
"I don't think there is any question of a Chinese veto. The most likely result is that they'll abstain ... They are not going to stand in the way," he told reporters. "I don't think there'll be a Russian veto either," he said, adding that Moscow might even vote for the new resolution.
"We're not there yet but we have got two weeks," he said, referring to the preferred U.S. mid-March deadline for a vote.
On his part, Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan told Russian newspaper Vremya Novosti that countries which supported America in any future war would be legitimate targets for retaliation. Asked whether Iraq could strike Kuwait or Turkey, he said: "War is war. If aggression is shown against Iraq, it can of course use any means to defend itself. I want to say only that whoever helps the Americans will be seen as their accomplice."
Meanwhile, French President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday that a war in Iraq was not inevitable and disarmament could be reached by peaceful means.
"War is not inevitable, war is one of the worst solutions," Chirac told reporters after a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar.
"France feels that it is possible to achieve this objective in a peaceful way, that of inspections."
Chirac, who has led Western opposition to a military attack against Iraq, has said he sees no need for the new resolution.
Separately, French Foreign Minister Dominique Villepin and his Italian counterpart Franco Frattini Wednesday confirmed their joint desire for peaceful disarmament in Iraq and urged Iraq to comply actively with weapons inspectors. (Albawaba.com)
© 2003 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
