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UK Outlines Iraq Demands
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Saddam Hussein must come clean on Iraqi television about his weapons of mass destruction and say he will give them up, says the UK. The public declaration from the Iraqi leader is one of the list of specific demands unveiled by Tony Blair and his ministers. The tests are part of the drive to secure agreement for a new United Nations resolution over Iraq. But on Wednesday afternoon, Foreign Secretary Jack Straw refused to guarantee that the joint US-UK-Spanish draft resolution would be put to a vote at the UN as previously planned. "Let us see whether we get there," said Mr Straw as he was pressed on the point at a news conference. The UK was working "flat out" for a new resolution and he was "hopeful" it could be passed. But he said he had not expected French President Jacques Chirac to say he would veto the draft new resolution "whatever the circumstances". End in sight? Mr Straw said the talks about the resolution were "now coming to a conclusion, which will have to happen before the end of this week". Spain's foreign minister earlier suggested the draft resolution might not be put to a Security Council vote because of the French veto threat.
Speaking about the demand for Saddam Hussein's declaration, Mr Straw said: "Unless he were willing to spell this out to his own people in Arabic then we would have to think that it was another game or trick." The other five tests are:
The UK has already proposed a deadline of 17 March for the ultimatum. But ministers say they might extend the timetable, although not beyond the end of March, if that was the price for getting other nations' agreement. Earlier, the prime minister's official spokesman sought to dispel speculation that American troops might go to war without British involvement. 'No doubt' US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld sparked diplomatic confusion when he said the UK's role was "unclear" because of Tony Blair's difficulties in convincing a rebellious Parliament of the need for military action.
Within the hour, Mr Rumsfeld issued a clarification, saying he had "no doubt" there would be "a significant military contribution from the United Kingdom". The prime minister's official spokesman insisted on Wednesday that British troops would play a "significant" role if the UK thought war with Iraq was necessary. At prime minister's question time, Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith tackled Mr Blair over the criticisms of cabinet minister Clare Short, who called his Iraq policy "reckless". Mr Blair evaded the question, saying it was more important to focus on the "substance". Downing Street Urging the world to stand firm, he said: "What is at stake here is not whether the US goes alone or not. "It is whether the international community is prepared to back up the clear instruction it gave to Saddam Hussein with the necessary action." Anti-war Labour MP Graham Allen was depressed that Mr Blair had not used Mr Rumsfeld's remarks as a way out of his difficulties. Mr Allen told BBC Radio 4's World At One: "Today will be remembered as the day the window of opportunity that Donald Rumsfeld opened up for the prime minister personally was slammed shut." The prime minister's frantic international negotiations continue on Wednesday at dinner with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder at Downing Street. On Tuesday, six undecided UN members - Cameroon, Angola, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan - suggested a 45-day deadline for Iraq to disarm. But this was rejected by America, which is insisting that a UN vote on war against Iraq will happen this week.
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