Stewart Stogel
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2002

The Blix decision was seconded by Mohamed El Baradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s atomic watchdog.

Oct. 19 had been the planned date for U.N. inspectors to land in Iraq.

The U.S. "suggested" a delay to Blix and El Baradei because the Security Council, like the U.S. Congress, has yet to act on a new resolution regarding Iraq's willingness to accept "unconditional" U.N. inspections.

Speaking at the State Department, Powell told reporters: "We want to make sure that any new resolution demands access to all sites without any conditions that would hamper the inspectors. There has been an erosion of the inspection regime in recent years, and we have to fix it, correct it and make sure that Iraq is not given an opportunity to frustrate the inspection teams when they go in."

Blix added: "I feel that there has to be constant pressure to keep the Iraqis to comply with the resolution. There was an erosion over the years past. So, whether it is done in one resolution or two, I will leave it to them [the Security Council]."

Blix was referring to the standoff between Washington and Paris.

The U.S. is pushing for one U.N. resolution that would allow the Pentagon to respond militarily to any Iraqi violation.

Paris prefers two resolutions. One would only warn Iraq not to obstruct U.N. inspections.

If they did, the U.S. would then need to come back to the council and seek a second resolution to authorize military force.

Powell admitted that the State Department was "still working" with the French and that discussions were "still in the consultative process."

The secretary added he "would find a way to resolve these different points of view."

Meanwhile, America's U.N. mission in New York confirms that consultations with the other members of the Security Council "are on hold" unil after President Bush's speech to the nation Monday night.

According to the U.S. mission, the president will again "tell the American public why a war with Iraq may be necessary." He will again "remind" the U.N. Security Council that it too must "act" or risk being overtaken by events.

While the president addresses the nation, Blix will travel to Vienna to address a training session of new arms inspectors who may be among the first to enter Iraq, once the green light is given.

Baghdad has maintained a lower profile in recent days, sending messages through diplomatic channels that unconditional access to so-called "presidential sites" (currently restricted) may be given if Washington forgoes an automatic authorization to use force.

Such an authorizaion is contained in a U.S. draft resolution being circulated in the U.N. Security Council.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Bush Administration

Saddam Hussein/Iraq

United Nations

Editor's note:
Saddam Hussein’s race to make a nuclear bomb