IRAQ: SECRETARY POWELL'S ADDRESS TO SECURITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000453 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR P, IO/UNP E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2008 TAGS: PARM PREL CA UNSC SUBJECT: IRAQ: SECRETARY POWELL'S ADDRESS TO SECURITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 14 REF: STATE 44441 Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Stephen R. Kelly, Reasons: 1.5 ( B and D) ¶1. (C) Charge contacted Canadian Political Director Jim Wright Feb. 16 to urge that Canada make a statement on Iraq during the Feb. 18 UNSC Open Meeting. Wright said he had already drafted such a statement for Foreign Minister Graham - one which tracks very well with the talking points reftel - and was recommending that Canada use this chance to put its views before the entire UNSC. Wright said he would let the minister know we had indeed urged Canada to take this step. ¶2. (C) Wright said his draft statement makes the following points: -- Canada believes the fundamental issue is that Iraq has not accepted the need to disarm itself. -- Intensified inspections are not the answer. The answer is a change in attitude on the part of Iraq. -- If Iraq was providing willing, active and transparent cooperation to the inspectors, the inspection process could be very short. -- Canada continues to say it wants the issued resolved through the United Nations. -- A divided UNSC serves no one's purposes. -- Time is clearly running out. ¶3. (C) Wright said he had followed the Secretary's Feb. 14 statement very closely. He was urging FM Graham to use the Open Meeting as an opportunity for Canada to put its views before all the UNSC members before they meet on a possible second resolution, with the intention of putting the onus of action on the council and the Iraqis.. He said he would have a chance to discuss this more with the U.S. this week in Paris at the G-8 political directors meeting, where he would see Under Secretary for Political Affairs Marc Grossman. ¶4. (C) Comment: Wright stressed that Graham had not yet signed off on his draft, nor definitively decided to make a statement. But on the latter point he asked, "Why wouldn't we?", and on the former, he implied his minister would be on board. End Comment. KELLY