United Nations, Feb 19: Adamant on using force to disarm Saddam Hussein despite global protests, the United States and Britain are likely to present a new tough resolution authorising military action against Iraq at the UN Security Council today. According to diplomatic sources here, the resolution is is expected to be submitted to the security council after an open debate in which member states that are not represented on the council would also participate.
The debate, which is due to begin this evening and spill over to Wednesday, is expected to hear calls for giving more time to UN weapons inspectors to fulfill their task and opposition to American plan to take military action. Despite France still opposing another resolution and occasionally indicating that it might veto it, US and Britain plan to go ahead with the resolution. But diplomats said it could undergo several changes to make the language milder before it is put to vote.
The resolution is not expected to be put to vote before chief weapons inspector Hans Blix's next report expected on March 1. It would be a written report which would be later released as a security council document bereft of the fanfare that accompanied the last two reports by the UN inspectors last week. Director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed Elbaradei would not have any report for March 1. His next report is likely sometime in the middle of April.
Diplomats said there is some discussion on giving an ultimatum to President Saddam Hussein to either step down or meet tough conditions within a specified period.
Bureau Report