UN/IRAQ: COUNCIL CLOSES ONE CHAPTER IN IRAQI DISARMAMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 09 USUN NEW YORK 000768 E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/18/2013 TAGS: PREL UNSC IZ SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: COUNCIL CLOSES ONE CHAPTER IN IRAQI DISARMAMENT REF: A. USUN 763 ¶B. USUN 766 ¶C. USUN 764 ¶D. USUN 765 ¶E. USUN 760 ¶F. USUN 762 ¶G. USUN 761 CLASSIFIED BY: POLITICAL MINISTER-COUNSELOR JOSIAH ROSENBLATT; REASONS: 1.5 (B) AND (D). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A FRANKLY ANTI-CLIMATIC CONCLUSION TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL'S ROLE IN DEBATING THE DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ, THE COUNCIL HELD AN OPEN SESSION MARCH 19 ATTENDED BY MINISTERS FROM FRANCE, GERMANY, RUSSIA, SYRIA, AND GUINEA. (GUINEAN FM FALL WAS IN NEW YORK TO PRESIDE OVER THE COUNCIL SESSION ON SMALL ARMS AND MERCENARIES IN AFRICA WEDNESDAY, AND REMAINED FOR THE MEETING.) WHILE DIVISIVENESS AMONG COUNCIL MEMBERS WAS MUTED, MARKING MOVEMENT TO MINIMIZE DIFFERENCES, NATIONAL STATEMENTS NONETHELESS REFLECTED CLASSICAL POSTURES ON IRAQ, LIKELY TO RESURFACE IN UPCOMING COUNCIL DIALOGUES ABOUT OIL-FOR-FOOD (OFF) AND OTHER NEXT STEPS. ALTHOUGH THE PRESS SPOTLIGHT ON THE COUNCIL HAD LARGELY DIMMED EVEN BEFORE THE MEETING, MOST COUNCIL MEMBERS -- EXCLUSIVE OF THE U.S., UK, AND SPAIN -- DEFENSIVELY POSTURED ABOUT THE RELEVANCE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF BOTH THE COUNCIL AND, MORE BROADLY, THE UNITED NATIONS. ¶2. (C) BLIX ACKNOWLEDGED THE LIMITED RELEVANCE OF THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF WORK BEFORE THE COUNCIL, WHILE SYG ANNAN MET HEAD ON THE FACT THAT HUMANITARIAN CHALLENGES WOULD ARISE FROM MILITARY CONFLICT. BOTH AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE AND UK PERMREP GREENSTOCK SPOKE TO STEPS ALREADY TAKEN IN PREPARING FOR HUMANITARIAN NEEDS, WHILE SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS SET OUT SUCCINCTLY AND CLEARLY SADDAM HUSSEIN'S PATH TOWARDS CONFRONTATION. FRENCH FM DE VILLEPIN SET OUT TWO ALTERNATE APPROACHES IN THE WORLD TODAY: THE USE OF FORCE TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS AND, BY WAY OF CONTRAST, A LONG-TERM APPROACH WHICH RECOGNIZED THAT ALL ASPECTS, INCLUDING RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL, NEEDED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THAT SAID, FRANCE WOULD BE A "FULL PARTICIPANT IN STANCHING THE WOUNDS OF WAR." RUSSIAN FM IVANOV REJECTED ANY LINKAGE BETWEEN 9/11 AND IRAQ, AS WELL AS ANY LEGITIMACY OTHER THAN THAT CONFERRED BY THE COUNCIL FOR THE USE OF FORCE. GERMAN FM FISCHER DEFENDED THE COUNCIL AND REITERATED GERMAN OPPOSITION TO ANY MILITARY SOLUTION, STRESSING THAT PROGRESS WAS BEING MADE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SYRIAN FM SHARA'S RHETORICAL STATEMENT, OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS' STATEMENTS WERE LARGELY UNREMARKABLE, GROUPED AROUND SEVERAL MAIN THEMES: THE COUNCIL'S ROLE AND LEGITIMACY, PREFERENCE FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION BUT RECOGNITION THAT SUCH HAD FAILED, AND IMPERATIVE TO SAFEGUARD THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE. END SUMMARY. U.S., UK, SPAIN, BULGARIA: RESOLUTE, BUT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED U.S.: FOCUS FORWARD ON HUMANITARIAN ASPECTS -------------- ¶3. (U) AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE THANKED UNMOVIC AND THE IAEA FOR THEIR WORK PROGRAMS AND THEIR EFFORTS, BUT POINTED OUT THAT IMMEDIATE APPROVAL OF THEIR WORK PROGRAMS WAS INCOMPATIBLE WITH THE CURRENT LEVEL OF IRAQI COOPERATION AND PREMATURE GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES ON THE GROUND. HE ASKED THAT THE WORK PROGRAM BE SET ASIDE FOR THE TIME BEING, BUT SAID THE UNITED STATES DID NOT EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY THAT IT MAY PROVE USEFUL TO RETURN TO THESE DOCUMENTS AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. ¶4. (U) AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE THEN TURNED THE COUNCIL'S ATTENTION TO THE FUTURE, AND THE HUMANITARIAN NEEDS OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE IN THE TIME AHEAD. HE TOUCHED ON U.S. PLANNING EFFORTS, ANNOUNCED THE DISPATCH OF A DISASTER ASSISTANCE RESPONSE TEAM (DART),THE PRE-POSITIONING OF USD 16.5 MILLION IN SUPPLIES, AND THE CONTRIBUTION OF USD 60 MILLION TO UN AGENCIES. HE SAID THE U.S. WOULD INCREASE DONATIONS, AND URGED OTHER DONORS TO DO LIKEWISE. AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE ANNOUNCED THAT THE U.S. WOULD SOON PRESENT A DRAFT HUMANITARIAN RESOLUTION TO ENSURE THE CONTINUITY OF THE OIL-FOR-FOOD PROGRAM. HE ENDED BY EXPRESSING U.S. READINESS TO WORK WITH THE COUNCIL ON ISSUES RELATED TO THE SITUATION IN IRAQ IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS TO COME. ¶5. (U) FULL TEXT OF AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE'S REMARKS SENT REF A. UK: LOOKING AHEAD -------------- ¶6. (C) UK PR GREENSTOCK SAID THE UK HAD TRIED HARD TO AVERT CONFLICT AND SEE TO IRAQ'S PEACEFUL DISARMAMENT, BUT THAT IRAQ FOR TWELVE YEARS HAD FAILED TO RESPOND TO THE COUNCIL'S PLEAS OR DEMANDS. HE OBSERVED THAT, IF IRAQ HAD RESPECTED THE UN, THE COUNTRY WOULD NOT BE FACING HOSTILITIES. ¶7. (C) GREENSTOCK ARGUED THAT THE UN HAD TO PLAY A ROLE IN IRAQ'S FUTURE, AND QUOTED UK FS STRAW'S MARCH 17 COMMENTS REGARDING SAFEGUARDING IRAQ'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, THE LIFTING OF SANCTIONS, AND THE RIGHT OF IRAQ'S PEOPLE TO IRAQ'S OIL WEALTH. GREENSTOCK EXPRESSED THE UK'S SUPPORT FOR RECONFIGURING OFF AND SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE PRESENTATION OF IDEAS BY THE SYG. HE ALSO ADVOCATED FUTURE ROLES FOR UNMOVIC AND THE IAEA IN ASSESSING IRAQI WMD PLANS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONGOING MONITORING SYSTEM. ¶8. (C) GREENSTOCK ANNOUNCED THAT THE HMG MINISTER FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAS IN NEW YORK ON MARCH 19 AND THAT THE UK WOULD BE DONATING USD 110 MILLION FOR IMMEDIATE HUMANITARIAN RELIEF AND WOULD BE LIKELY TO DONATE MORE. ¶9. (C) TURNING TO THE UNMOVIC WORK PROGRAM AND KEY REMAINING DISARMAMENT TASKS, GREENSTOCK SAID THAT SUCH A SYSTEM WOULD REQUIRE A COOPERATING IRAQI GOVERNMENT. BOTH WORK PROGRAMS SHOULD BE KEPT UNDER REVIEW, READY TO BE USED WITH AN IRAQI GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO COOPERATE ACTIVELY, IMMEDIATELY, AND UNCONDITIONALLY. SPAIN: SADDAM'S PATH OF CONFRONTATION -------------- ¶10. (C) SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS, WHILE COMMENDING THE WORK OF THE INSPECTORS, SQUARELY BLAMED SADDAM HUSSEIN FOR THE SUSPENSION OF INSPECTIONS. HE STATED: -- SADDAM HUSSEIN HAD OPENLY CHOSEN THE PATH OF CONFRONTATION, AND HE ALONE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CONFRONTING THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES LAID OUT IN UNSC RESOLUTIONS. -- THE UNANIMOUS ADOPTION OF USNCR 1441 CHANGED THE PARADIGM OF INSPECTIONS UNDER UNSCR 1284 AND THE PROGRAM OF WORK. WITHOUT FULL COOPERATION FROM IRAQ, THE WORK PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE. -- TOGETHER WITH THE U.S. AND UK, SPAIN HAD TRIED TO ACHIEVE A PEACEFUL SOLUTION TO THE IRAQI CRISIS THROUGH INCREASED PRESSURE FOR IRAQ TO MAKE A "STRATEGIC DECISION" TO COOPERATE FULLY WITH INSPECTORS. IRAQ HAD FAILED TO TAKE ITS FINAL OPPORTUNITY. -- SPAIN BELIEVED, HOWEVER, THAT A NEW RESOLUTION WAS NOT NECESSARY BECAUSE THE LEGAL BASIS FOR FORCE WAS GIVEN IN UNSCRS 660, 678, 687 AND 1441. -- IRAQ HAD NOT MET ALL ITS OBLIGATIONS UNDER UNSCR 687, INCLUDING CONTINUING TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO TERRORISTS. -- AT THIS LATE STAGE, IRAQ HAD FAILED TO SUBMIT A FULL ACCOUNT OF ITS WMD DEMANDED BY PARAGRAPH NINE OF UNSCR 687, AND LATER EMPHASIZED IN UNSCR 1441. -- SPAIN REMAINED CONCERNED ABOUT THE HUMANITARIAN DIMENSION OF CONFLICT. THE COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER A DRAFT RESOLUTION TO ALLEVIATE HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. BULGARIA: IRAQI REFUSAL TO COOPERATE EXHAUSTED POLITICAL PROCESS -------------- ¶11. (C) BULGARIAN PERMREP TAFROV STATED THAT THE SUSPENSION OF INSPECTIONS SHOULD NOT CALL INTO QUESTION THE USEFULNESS OF THE INSPECTIONS PROCESS WRIT LARGE IN THE PREVENTION OF WMD PROLIFERATION. HE CONTINUED: -- ACTIVE AND FULL COOPERATION WAS REQUIRED FOR INSPECTIONS TO BE EFFECTIVE. IRAQ HAD NOT COOPERATED ACTIVELY. -- BULGARIA REGRETTED THAT DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS DID NOT YIELD RESULTS. IRAQ'S REFUSAL TO COOPERATE WITH INSPECTIONS HAD CAUSED THE POLITICAL PROCESS TO BECOME EXHAUSTED, AND THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF UNSCR 1441 NOT TO BE REALIZED. -- IRAQ HAD FAILED TO SEIZE THE LAST CHANCE TO DISARM IN ACCORDANCE WITH UNSC RESOLUTIONS, PARTICULARLY UNSCR 1441. -- WHILE THE COUNCIL WAS ABLE TO REACH CONSENSUS ON THE ISSUE OF IRAQI DISARMAMENT, IT WAS NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE SAME UNITY ON THE METHOD OF DISARMAMENT. -- BULGARIA SUPPORTED THE SYG'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW ALL UN STAFF FROM IRAQ TO ENSURE THEIR SAFETY. -- NOW THE COUNCIL SHOULD FOCUS ON THE URGENCY OF THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN IRAQ, AND SUPPORT THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF IRAQ. -- BULGARIA WANTED TO PRESERVE THE ROLE OF THE UN AND THE COUNCIL WHICH PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN PRESERVING INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY IN THE WORLD. ACCORDINGLY, THE COUNCIL SHOULD PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE REBUILDING OF IRAQ AFTER CONFLICT. SYG ANNAN: SAD DAY FOR THE WORLD; OCCUPYING POWER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IRAQI PEOPLE -------------- --- ¶12. (U) SYG ANNAN (FULL REMARKS IN REF B) SAID THE SESSION MARKED "A SAD DAY FOR THE UNITED NATIONS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY." HE CONTINUED THAT "MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD SHARED THIS SENSE OF DISAPPOINTMENT AND ARE DEEPLY ALARMED BY THE PROSPECT OF IMMINENT WAR." THE SYG COMMENDED THE WORK OF UNMOVIC AND THE IAEA, AND SAID HIS PRIMARY CONCERN NOW WAS DEALING WITH THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. THE SYG WARNED THAT, UNDER INTERNATIONAL LAW, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROTECTING CIVILIANS IN CONFLICT FALLS ON THE BELLIGERENTS. SIMILARLY, RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WELFARE OF THE POPULATION FALLS ON THE OCCUPYING POWER. ANNAN WARNED THAT HE HAD REQUESTED USD 123.5 MILLION FROM DONORS, BUT TO DATE HAD RECEIVED ONLY USD 45 MILLION IN PLEDGES AND OF THAT USD 34 MILLION HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RECEIVED. ANNAN CONCLUDED THAT THE TASK OF REBUILDING AND REHABILITATING IRAQ COULD YET PROVE TO BE TASK AROUND WHICH THE UNITY OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL COULD BE REBUILT. BLIX: WORK PROGRAM NOW HAS LIMITED PRACTICAL RELEVANCE -------------- -------------- ¶13. (U) UNMOVIC EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN BLIX (FULL COMMENTS REF C) EXPRESSED RELIEF THAT ALL UNMOVIC PERSONNEL HAD BEEN SAFELY EVACUATED TO CYPRUS. HE TOUCHED ON THE PROGRAM OF WORK MADE AVAILABLE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS ON MONDAY, MARCH 17, AND "EXPRESSED SADNESS THAT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS OF WORK CARRIED OUT IN IRAQ HAVE NOT BROUGHT THE ASSURANCES NEEDED ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION." BLIX RECOGNIZED THAT THE WORK PROGRAM HAD BEEN DRAFTED FOR IMPLEMENTATION BY A LARGE STAFF OF UNMOVIC INSPECTORS, AND THAT IT WOULD SEEM TO HAVE LIMITED PRACTICAL RELEVANCE IN THE CURRENT SITUATION. HE ADVISED THAT UNMOVIC ROLES AND FUNCTIONS CONTINUE UNLESS AMENDED BY A FURTHER DECISION BY THE SECURITY COUNCIL, AND THAT THE UNMOVIC STAFF DID REPRESENT A UNIQUE BODY OF EXPERIENCE THAT SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND BY MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL. IAEA: READY FOR QUESTIONS -------------- ¶14. (C) IAEA NEW YORK REPRESENTATIVE ZLAUVINEN ANNOUNCED THAT THE IAEA WORK PROGRAM WAS READY FOR CONSIDERATION BY COUNCIL MEMBERS (FAXED TO NP AND IO/UNP AND REF D). HE SAID THAT IAEA DIRECTOR GENERAL EL-BARADEI WAS READY TO FIELD ANY INQUIRIES FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. FRANCE, RUSSIA, CHINA, GERMANY, SYRIA FRANCE: "DEMOCRACIES SHOULD SET THE EXAMPLE; PERSUASION AS IMPORTANT AS RAW POWER -------------- ¶15. (C) FRENCH FM DE VILLEPIN FOCUSED HIS REMARKS ON THE NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FOCUS ON COOPERATIVE EFFORTS ACROSS A RANGE OF ISSUES. VILLEPIN OFFERED A MORE MEASURED PRESENTATION, ALBEIT ONE STILL COUCHED IN SWEEPING TERMS, THAN HIS PAST PRESENTATIONS IN THE COUNCIL. AS BEFORE, APPLAUSE ERUPTED IN THE CHAMBER AT THE CONCLUSION OF HIS INTERVENTION. FULL TEXT OF HIS REMARKS REPORTED REF E. -- THE MAP LAID OUT IN UNSCR 1441 WAS STILL AVAILABLE ALTHOUGH BEING "BLOCKED" TODAY; -- TWO VISIONS WERE REFLECTED IN THE WORLD TODAY: THE USE OF FORCE TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS VERSUS A LONG-TERM APPROACH WHICH RECOGNIZED THAT ALL ASPECTS OF PROBLEMS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, SUCH AS RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL FACTORS. -- DEMOCRACIES NEED TO SET THE EXAMPLE. -- THE MIDDLE EAST WAS A REGION OF ANCIENT CONFLICTS AND INSTABILITY. -- IRAQ COULD HAVE BEEN AN IMPORTANT AND EFFECTIVE MODEL FOR OTHER NON-PROLIFERATION AREAS; A TOOL THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER EXPLORED. WHY NOT A UN "DISARMAMENT CORPS" UNDER AN INTERNATIONAL UMBRELLA? -- THE WORLD NOW RAN THE RISK OF FAILURE, INCREASING TENSION AND HELPING FEED TERRORISM. -- NOW WOULD BE THE TIME TO SOON STAUNCH THE WOUNDS OF WAR AND FOCUS ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE; WE MUST PREVAIL OVER DIFFERENCES. FRANCE INTENDED TO BE A FULL PARTICIPANT IN SUCH EFFORTS. -- THE OIL-FOR-FOOD (OFF) PROGRAM NEEDED TO CONTINUE WITH NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS - FRANCE LOOKED FORWARD TO RECEIVING THE SYG,S PROPOSALS IN THIS REGARD. -- NO ONE STATE COULD LAY CLAIM TO BUILDING THE PEACE; THE UN WAS THE ONLY AUTHORITY IN SUCH CASES. -- TWO PRINCIPLES NEEDED TO BE FOLLOWED: TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF IRAQ AND ITS SOVEREIGNTY. -- THE WORLD FACED OTHER THREATS, SUCH AS TERRORISM AND ORGANIZED CRIMINAL NETWORKS; STATES MUST SHOW UNITY IN SUCH AREAS AND ON ALL FRONTS. -- THE STRUGGLE AGAINST TERRORISM NEEDED TO BE INTENSIFIED, WITH NEW IMPETUS ON DEALING WITH WMD; FRANCE SUGGESTED A MEETING OF HEADS OF STATE/GOVERNMENT ON THE SIDELINES OF THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY. -- THERE WERE NEW INITIATIVES ON THE MIDDLE EAST THAT DESERVED ATTENTION. -- IN DEALING WITH THESE ASYMMETRICAL THREATS, THE ABILITY OF COUNTRIES TO "PERSUADE WOULD BE AS IMPORTANT AS THE NUMBER OF (MILITARY) DIVISIONS." -- THREE FACTORS WERE INDISPUTABLE TO A COUNTRY'S INFLUENCE: RESPECT FOR LAW, DEFENSE OF FREEDOM AND JUSTICE AND A SHOW OF DIALOGUE AND TOLERANCE. RUSSIA: WE REMEMBERED 9/11 AND WERE THERE FOR YOU -- BUT NO LINKAGE WITH IRAQ -------------- ¶16. (C) RUSSIAN FM IVANOV RESTATED THE CENTRAL IMPORTANCE OF THE COUNCIL IN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AND NOTED THAT PRESIDENT PUTIN HAD BEEN THE FIRST WORLD LEADER TO PHONE PRESIDENT BUSH AFTER 9/11 TRAGEDY. STILL, THERE WAS NO PROOF THAT A LINK BETWEEN 9/11 AND IRAQ EXISTED. HE SAID: -- INSPECTORS WERE ACHIEVING TANGIBLE RESULTS; BAGHDAD HAD VIRTUALLY FULFILLED ALL CONDITIONS/TASKS WITH FEW OBSTACLES. -- THE PROCESS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE BASED ON AGREED TIMELINES IN PRIOR RESOLUTIONS; UNMOVIC,S AND IAEA'S WORK HAD NOT CONCLUDED BUT WAS MERELY SUSPENDED. -- THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE OTHER THAN RETURNING THE ISSUE OF IRAQ TO THE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH A COMPREHENSIVE SETTLEMENT. -- NO PRIOR COUNCIL DECISIONS AUTHORIZED THE USE OF FORCE OUTSIDE THE UN CHARTER OR APPROVED THE VIOLENT OVERTHROW OF THE LEADERSHIP OF A SOVEREIGN STATE. SUCH ACTIONS WOULD NOT HELP STRENGTHEN THE INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION/SOLIDARITY NEEDED ON TERRORISM. -- A POLITICAL SETTLEMENT NEEDED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH INTERNATIONAL LAW. -- ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE SUFFERED A HUGE TRAGEDY; PRESIDENT PUTIN HAD BEEN THE FIRST WORLD LEADER TO PHONE PRESIDENT BUSH AND EXTEND SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT; SINCERE FEELINGS HAD BEEN FELT BY THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE. -- IF WAR IN IRAQ WAS IN RESPONSE TO DIRECT THREATS TO THE SECURITY OF THE U.S., THEN RUSSIA WOULD BE PREPARED TO ASSEMBLE ALL MEANS TO ELIMINATE THEM. HOWEVER, THE COUNCIL WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO SUBSTANTIATE SUCH CLAIMS. CHINA: INSPECTIONS STILL POSSIBLE? -------------- ¶17. (C) IN A SLIGHTLY UNREAL INTERVENTION, CHINESE PERMREP WANG NOTED THAT UNMOVIC AND THE IAEA HAD SUBMITTED THE WORK PROGRAM AHEAD OF THE UNSCR 1284 SCHEDULE, AND OFFERED THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS: -- DUE TO RAPIDLY CHANGING EVENTS, THE EFFORTS OF THE COUNCIL HAD "FALLEN BEHIND." INSPECTIONS HAD BEEN SUSPENDED. -- IN LIGHT OF PROGRESS ON INSPECTIONS, IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE PEACEFUL DISARMAMENT. THE INSPECTORS HAD SUBMITTED THE WORK PROGRAM WHICH INCLUDED SUGGESTIONS FOR MORE EFFECTIVE INSPECTIONS. -- THE SITUATION IN IRAQ WAS "WORRISOME:" A SITUATION IN WHICH WAR COULD BREAK OUT AT ANY MOMENT. -- CHINA HAD ALWAYS PURSUED A FOREIGN POLICY OF PEACE. -- CHINA WAS CONCERNED FOR PEACE AND SECURITY AND THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN IRAQ, AND WAS READY "WITH THE COUNCIL" TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE IRAQ ISSUE. -- THE COUNCIL BEARS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PEACE AND SECURITY AND MUST SHOULDER THAT RESPONSIBILITY IN ORDER NOT TO "LET DOWN" THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. GERMANY: "WE DO NOT LIVE ON VENUS, BUT RATHER, WE ARE THE SURVIVORS OF MARS" -------------- ¶18. (C) GERMAN FM FISCHER OFFERED A DECIDEDLY MORE EXPANSIVE STATEMENT THAN IN PREVIOUS COUNCIL MINISTERIAL MEETINGS; THE FULL TEXT OF HIS REMARKS IS REPORTED REF F. HE SAID: -- THE SECURITY COUNCIL COULD NOT "REMAIN SILENT" IN THE CURRENT SITUATION; THE TASK AT HAND WAS TO SAFEGUARD ITS RELEVANCE AT A TIME WHEN RECENT DEVELOPMENTS HAD BROUGHT THE WORK OF THE UN TO A STANDSTILL ON THE GROUND. -- PEACEFUL DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ WAS STILL POSSIBLE DESPITE THESE CIRCUMSTANCES BY WITHHOLDING RESOLUTION DEMANDS AND TIMELINES. -- TIME AND AGAIN, GERMANY HAD COLLABORATED WITH FRANCE AND RUSSIA TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR MORE EFFICIENT INSPECTIONS. -- REAL PROGRESS HAD BEEN ACHIEVED: IRAQ HAD SCRAPPED MANY OF ITS AL-SAMOUD MISSILES; 70 HAD NOW BEEN DESTROYED. -- THAT SAID, IRAQ,S READINESS TO COOPERATE WAS UNSATISFACTORY; IT WAS HESITANT AND SLOW. THE COUNCIL AGREED ON THAT, BUT CAN THIS BE GROUNDS FOR WAR WITH ALL ITS TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES? -- WHY SHOULD WE DISBAND NOW PLANS TO DISARM IRAQ VIA PEACEFUL MEANS? THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BELIEVED THERE WERE NO GROUNDS FOR BREAKING OFF THE DISARMAMENT PROCESS. -- THREE POINTS NEEDED TO BE EMPHASIZED: FIRST, THE COUNCIL HAD NOT FAILED; WE "MUST COUNTER THAT MYTH." THE COUNCIL IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING OUTSIDE THE UN. SECOND, WE HAVE TO STATE CLEARLY THAT UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES THE POLICY OF MILITARY INTERVENTION HAS NO CREDIBILITY; IT DOES NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT OF OUR PEOPLE; IT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN MUCH TO SAFEGUARD THE UNITY OF THE COUNCIL; THERE IS NO BASIS IN THE UN CHARTER FOR REGIME CHANGE WITH MILITARY MEANS. THIRD, THE INSPECTION REGIME NEEDED TO BE PRESERVED; RESOLUTIONS 1284 AND 1441 WERE STILL IN FORCE. -- THE UN AND COUNCIL NEEDED TO CONTINUE TO PLAY THE CENTRAL ROLE IN THE IRAQ CONFLICT; THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE. -- NEGOTIATIONS ON THE IRAQ CRISIS, FOLLOWED BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE, REVEALED HOW RELEVANT AND INDISPENSABLE THE PEACEMAKING ROLE OF THE COUNCIL IS. -- GERMANY IS DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES OF A WAR IN IRAQ - THE WORLD'S TASK NOW IS TO DO "EVERYTHING POSSIBLE" TO AVERT A HUMANITARIAN DISASTER. -- A LARGE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN GERMANY AND EUROPE ARE GREATLY TROUBLED BY THE IMPENDING WAR; EUROPE HAD EXPERIENCED THE HORRORS OF WAR ONLY TOO OFTEN. THOSE WHO KNOW OUR EUROPEAN HISTORY UNDERSTAND THAT "WE DO NOT LIVE ON VENUS BUT, RATHER, WE ARE THE SURVIVORS OF MARS." WAR IS TERRIBLE. IT IS A GREAT TRAGEDY FOR THOSE AFFECTED AND FOR US ALL. -- NEVERTHELESS, GERMANY HAD ACCEPTED THE NECESSITY FOR WAR ON TWO OCCASIONS DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS BECAUSE ALL PEACEFUL ALTERNATIVES HAD PROVED UNSUCCESSFUL: IN KOSOVO AND IN AFGHANISTAN. SYRIA: RHETORIC FLOWS, DOUBLE STANDARD ON ISRAEL, OBJECTIVE IS CONTROL OF OIL -------------- ¶19. (C) SYRIAN FM SHARA MADE A LENGTHY RHETORICAL STATEMENT, SAYING: -- THIS WAS A SAD AND PAINFUL MOMENT. NOTHING TO BE SAID COULD ADDRESS THE VICTIMS OF WAR. -- THE UN CHARTER OPENS: "WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, DETERMINED TO SAVE SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS FROM THE SCOURGE OF WAR, WHICH TWICE IN OUR LIFETIME HAS BROUGHT UNTOLD SORROW TO MANKIND... UNITE OUR STRENGTH TO MAINTAIN INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY." THIS WAS THE IMPORTANT COMMITMENT CONSECRATED IN THE CHARTER 58 YEARS AGO, SIGNED IN SAN FRANCISCO IN 1945. A HISTORIC MONUMENT WAS BUILT TO THE CHARTER IN NEW YORK. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHO LIVE BETWEEN THE EAST AND WEST COASTS ARE IN PLURALITY AND DIVERSITY A MICROCOSM OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, MORE THAN ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD. -- THE QUESTION WAS, WHETHER FOR IRAQ OR THE FORGOTTEN PALESTINIAN CAUSE, COULD THE U.S. AND THE UK ABSOLVE THEMSELVES OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR CATASTROPHIC OUTCOME? THE UN WAS WITNESS TO HISTORY. COULD THE U.S. USE DIFFERENCES IN FINDING A CONSTRUCTIVE SOLUTION IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL AS AN EXCUSE TO WAGE WAR? WHEN WAS PEACE EASY? -- WITHIN HOURS, A WAR OF AGGRESSION WILL BE UNLEASHED, AS DECLARED IN WASHINGTON. THOSE WITH VISION AND INSIGHT WILL DEMONSTRATE THAT THIS DECISION WOULD RETURN TO HAUNT... -- THIS WAR WAGED TO DISARM IRAQ OF WMD WAS INCONSISTENT WITH ISRAEL'S STOCKPILE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS. IF INTERNATIONAL MONITORING AND INSPECTIONS PROCESSES MONITORED IRAQ, THEN SHOULD THEY NOT ALSO BE APPLIED TO ISRAEL" -- SYRIA VOTED "YES" FOR 1441 BECAUSE IT BELIEVED IN AN INTERNATIONAL SOLUTION AND ULTIMATELY THE INTERNATIONAL INSPECTIONS PROCESS YIELDED POSITIVE RESULTS. -- TO CALL INTO QUESTION THE ROLE OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL OR THE UN OR ANY ATTEMPT TO BLAME ANY MEMBER IGNORED THAT THE MAJORITY OF NATIONS REJECTED THE USE OF FORCE AND THERE WAS NO NEED TO VETO A RESOLUTION. -- UNSCR 1441'S OP12, WHICH DEMANDED THAT THE COUNCIL BE CONVENED, WAS IGNORED. THIS MADE CLEAR THAT THE OBJECTIVE WAS OCCUPATION AND EXPLOITATION OF IRAQI NATIONAL RESOURCES IN CONTRAVENTION OF ALL INTERNATIONAL LAW. -- HOW COULD ONE DENY THAT IRAQ WAS COOPERATING? ALL HAD SEEN THE DESTRUCTION OF AL-SAMOUDS. -- AMERICAN RECORDS WHICH CITE DANGER TO U.S. INTERESTS AND AMERICAN PEOPLE FROM MORE THAN 150 COUNTRIES WITH AL-QAEDA SLEEPER CELLS ALSO INDICATE THE U.S. HAS THE BIGGEST ARSENAL OF WMD. -- IF THE U.S. FORGETS THE PALESTINIANS, HOW COULD IT FORGET RACHEL CORRIE, CRUSHED TO DEATH BY ISRAEL? THE VIEWS OF MILLIONS IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WERE CLEAR IN THE WORLD DEMONSTRATIONS. -- THE OPTION OF PEACE WAS STILL AVAILABLE. THE PROSPERITY OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN PEOPLES WAS STILL AVAILABLE, AND COULD SAVE THE LIVES OF MILLIONS OF IRAQI PEOPLE IN DEFIANCE OF THE OCCUPIER. PAKISTAN: TYPICAL NUANCE -------------- ¶20. (C) PAKISTANI PERMREP AKRAM SHOWED NO CARDS IN HIS INTERVENTION, NUANCING PAKISTAN'S POSITION CAREFULLY. WAR IS ALWAYS A HUMAN TRAGEDY, HE QUOTED THE SYG; PAKISTAN HAD THUS ADVOCATED A PEACEFUL SOLUTION AND EXHAUSTING ALL OTHER MEANS BEFORE MOVING TO THE USE OF FORCE. THE UNMOVIC / IAEA DRAFT PROGRAM OF WORK COULD HAVE PROVIDED A USEFUL BASIS FOR THE DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ, "IF IRAQ'S FULL, ACTIVE, AND UNCONDITIONAL COOPERATION COULD HAVE BEEN SECURED IN TIME." IT WAS REGRETTABLE THAT "OBVIOUSLY, THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF WORK COULD NOT BE PURSUED AT THIS TIME." RECALLING THAT, WHILE "THE WHOLE WORLD HAD BEEN RIVETED ON THE SECURITY COUNCIL," MEMBERS SEPARATED BY "HONEST DIFFERENCES" HAD NOT BEEN "IN A POSITION TO TRAVERSE THIS PATH TOGETHER;" THE SECURITY COUNCIL NONETHELESS REMAINED RELEVANT AND MUST UPHOLD THE INTERNATIONAL LEGAL FRAMEWORK. THE COUNCIL SHOULD SEEK TO IMPLEMENT ALL ITS RESOLUTIONS, IN PARTICULAR THOSE RELATED TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND KASHMIR, "WHERE PEOPLE HAVE STRUGGLED AND DIED FOR THE PAST FIFTY YEARS," HE ADDED. THAT SAID, THE COUNCIL WOULD BE REORIENTED IN THE DAYS TO COME BY URGENT HUMANITARIAN TASKS. IN THAT CONTEXT, THE COUNCIL SHOULD CONSIDER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THE SYG'S HUMANITARIAN PROPOSALS WHEN RECEIVED. PAKISTAN WOULD WORK IN SOLIDARITY WITH ITS IRAQI "BROTHERS AND SISTERS" TO ENSURE THAT THERE WOULD BE NO DELAY OR PROCRASTINATION TO EXACERBATE THEIR SUFFERING. "EVEN ONCE GUNS SPEAK," THE SECURITY COUNCIL RESPONSIBILITY FOR CONTAINING HUMANITARIAN SUFFERING, ENSURING UNITY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, AND THE STABILITY OF THE REGION AND WORLD WOULD NOT END. THE PROCESS OF "HEALING THE WOUNDS TO DATE AND TO COME COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL AND THROUGH THE UN." MEXICO: NOT TIME FOR RECRIMINATION BUT... DEFENSIVE OF THE COUNCIL -------------- ¶21. (C) IN USUAL FASHION, MEXICAN PERMREP AGUILAR-ZINSER DEPLORED THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE JOINTLY THE DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ, BUT SAID THAT SITUATION DID NOT CONSTITUTE AN OBSTACLE TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL'S DISCHARGE OF ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE WORLD. HE CONTINUED: -- MEXICO UPHOLDS A MULTILATERAL PATH FOR THE RESOLUTION OF CONFLICT; PRESIDENT FOX HAD SAID THE WORLD MUST CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE SPIRIT AND LETTER OF THE CHARTER. THE USE OF FORCE WAS ONLY JUSTIFIED AS A LAST RESORT. -- THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS THE ONLY ORGAN TO WHICH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAS ENTRUSTED WITH THE RIGHT TO AUTHORIZE FORCE. AT STAKE WAS THE VERY MANNER IN WHICH HUMANKIND ADDRESSES QUESTIONS OF WMD AND PROLIFERATION. -- MEXICO WAS A DEEPLY PACIFIST AND PEACEFUL STATE. THE TOUCHSTONE OF THE PRINCIPLES TO WHICH MEXICO ADHERED WAS THE PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES AND THE MULTILATERAL APPLICATION OF POLICY. -- THE UN WAS THE FORUM "PAR EXCELLENCE" WHICH PRESERVES OR RESTORES PEACE, WHICH PROTECTS THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN OR CHILDREN OR THE DISABLED, THE ENVIRONMENT, THE SPREAD AGAINST DISEASE, AND WHICH HAD THE STRENGTH AND LEGITIMACY OF ITS MANDATE. -- THIS CURRENT, MOST ROBUST ATTEMPT AT DISARMAMENT COULD HAVE SUCCEEDED. THERE WAS NO TIME FOR RECRIMINATION BUT IT WAS TIME TO ANALYZE THE TASKS AHEAD WITH A CLEAR SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES AHEAD. CHILE: BITTER EXAMINATION OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN -------------- -------------- ¶22. (C) CHILEAN PERMREP VALDES SAID THAT CHILE HAD EXAMINED THE PROGRAM OF WORK WITH BITTERNESS BECAUSE "WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WAS PEACE, AND THAT WAS NOT TO BE." CHILE HAD WISHED FOR A PEACEFUL SOLUTION AND HAD ENDEAVORED TO IDENTIFY A PATH TO THAT. HE SAID: -- STRENGTHENED AND ACTIVE INSPECTIONS ACCOMPANIED BY ROBUST MILITARY PRESSURE WERE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING A PEACEFUL SOLUTION. -- THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE CURRENT SITUATION WERE SERIOUS FOR HUMANITY: THE IRAQI REGIME NEVER UNDERSTOOD THE PRICE IT WOULD HAVE TO PAY. -- EACH COUNCIL MEMBER MUST SHOULDER RESPONSIBILITY FOR FAILING TO FIND A PATH OF COLLECTIVE ACTION, ALTHOUGH TODAY WAS NOT A DAY FOR RECRIMINATION. -- THE INSPECTORS DESERVED TRIBUTE, AS THEY WERE ABLE TO "EXTRACT TRUTHS AND PLACE THEM BOLDLY" BEFORE THE COUNCIL. THERE SHOULD BE NO DOUBTS ABOUT THE VALIDITY OF INSPECTIONS; CHILE BELIEVED IN THE VALUE OF THE INSPECTIONS PROCESS AS A TOOL FOR DISARMAMENT. -- WAR WILL BRING HORROR UPON MILLIONS OF IRAQIS: THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO SAVE LIVES. ANGOLA: IRAQ DID NOT COMPLY -------------- ¶23. (C) ANGOLAN MINISTER MIRANDA DEPLORED THE FAILURE OF INSPECTIONS TO HAVE DISARMED IRAQ, AND DEPLORED AS WELL THAT IRAQ WAS UNABLE TO AVAIL ITSELF OF ITS LAST OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLY. IRAQ DID NOT COMPLY WITH UNSCRS, IN PARTICULAR 1441, GOVERNING ITS PEACEFUL DISARMAMENT, OR ATTEMPT TO CONVINCE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT IT WAS MAKING A GENUINE EFFORT TO DISARM. ANGOLA DEFENDED PEACEFUL SOLUTIONS TO CONFLICT AND BELIEVED IN THE USE OF FORCE ONLY AS THE LAST RESORT. FOUR DECADES OF CONFLICT IN ANGOLA HAD LED THEM TO THE PRIMACY OF THIS BELIEF. IN ADDITION: -- THE SECURITY COUNCIL SHOULD BE THE PRIMARY INSTRUMENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY. -- WAR IS NOW INEVITABLE; THEREFORE, THE HUMANITARIAN CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE OF CONCERN, SINCE INNOCENTS WERE ALWAYS MOST AFFECTED BY WAR. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD MUSTER THE RESOURCES FOR HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO BE DEPLOYED WHEN THE CONFLICT WAS OVER. -- THE SECURITY COUNCIL, TOGETHER WITH THE BROADER UN SYSTEM, WOULD FACE THE IMMENSE TASK OF RECONSTRUCTION. CAMEROON: EACH AND EVERY ONE TO BLAME -------------- ¶24. (C) CAMEROONIAN PERMREP BELINGA-EBOUTOU SAID THAT THE COUNCIL WAS AT A CROSS-ROADS, AND ALTHOUGH THERE HAD BEEN HOPE FOR A LAST MINUTE MIRACLE, A "COLLECTIVE COMING TO OUR SENSES" HAD NOT OCCURRED. "WE ARE EACH AND EVERY ONE TO BLAME; ALL WERE WRONG, AND ALL WERE RIGHT." DISARMAMENT ON THE PRINCIPLE OF INSPECTIONS WAS OVER. CAMEROON PAID HOMAGE TO THE INSPECTORS, WHO HAD JUSTIFIED THE TRUST PLACED IN THEM. THE COUNCIL WOULD ENTRUST TO THEM NEW TASKS IN THE FUTURE, WHETHER IN THIS CONTEXT OR IN OTHERS. THE DRAFT PROGRAM OF WORK COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD BASIS. BUT DESPITE THE IDENTIFICATION OF KRDTS, CAMEROON DID NOT SEE HOW, ABSENT FULL, ACTIVE AND UNCONDITIONAL COOPERATION ON THE PART OF IRAQ, THAT INSPECTIONS COULD HAVE COMPLETED THOSE TASKS. THE COUNCIL MUST CONSIDER THE HUMANITARIAN IMPACT OF THE DE FACTO SUSPENSION OF THE OFF PROGRAM. CAMEROON APPROVED THE SYG'S DECISION TO REMOVE UN STAFF FOR THEIR SAFETY. BUT GIVEN THE IMPACT ON THE IRAQI POPULATION, CAMEROON SUGGESTED THAT THE 661 COMMITTEE MEET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AT THE PERMREP LEVEL ON THE BASIS OF THE SYG'S PROPOSALS (NOTE: WHICH ARE STILL FORTHCOMING. END NOTE.). FINALLY, CAMEROON HOPED THAT TRUST WITHIN THE COUNCIL COULD SOON BE REVIVED. GUINEA: MORAL NECESSITY TO RID WORLD OF WMD -------------- ¶25. (C) COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND GUINEAN FM FALL MADE AN EXTREMELY BRIEF STATEMENT IN HIS NATIONAL CAPACITY. HE SAID: -- THE COUNCIL HAD EXAMINED BUT COULD NOT ACHIEVE CONSENSUS ON A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES WITH REGARD TO THE CURRENT SITUATION. -- THE INSPECTORS DESERVED THE THANKS OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE PROGRAM OF WORK AND THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE KRDTS. -- GUINEA NOTED THE SYG'S DECISION TO WITHDRAW INSPECTORS BECAUSE OF THE SECURITY SITUATION. -- WAS THERE, THEN, NO ROOM FOR HOPE? IF ARMED CONFLICT WAS INEVITABLE, STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO LIMIT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RECONSTRUCTION TASK AND TO SAFEGUARD THE HUMANITARIAN SITUATION OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE. -- GUINEA UNDERSTOOD THE MORAL NECESSITY OF RIDDING THE WORLD OF WMD. SUCH ACTION WAS NECESSARY TO THE MAINTENANCE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY. -- MORE THAN EVER, IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO SEE SECURITY COUNCIL UNITY. IRAQ: UNREPENTANT -------------- ¶26. (U) AN UNREPENTANT IRAQI PR AL-DURI (FULL REMARKS IN REF G) THANKED COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT HAD OPPOSED THE U.S. / UK / SPANISH DRAFT RESOLUTION AND TOOK ON THE U.S., UK, AND SPAIN FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN THE COUNCIL. HE SAID IRAQ HAD NO WMD AND THE COMING DAYS WOULD PROVE IT. AL-DURI CRITICIZED U.S. AID PLANS FOR IRAQ, REMARKING THAT "THE EXECUTIONER CANNOT HELP THE VICTIM EXCEPT BY KILLING HIM." ELABORATING HE SAID THE IRAQI PEOPLE WOULD NOT NEED HUMANITARIAN AID BUT FOR IMMINENT U.S. / UK MILITARY ACTION. HE REJECTED U.S. AID ON BEHALF OF IRAQ. HE SAID THAT THE TRUE GOALS OF THE U.S. HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SEARCH FOR WMD AND INSTEAD WERE FOCUSED ON OCCUPYING IRAQ AND CONTROLLING ITS OIL FIELDS. NEGROPONTE