Stewart Stogel
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2002

That assessment came after Cunningham and Sir Jeremy Greenstock, Great Britain's ambassador to the U.N., briefed the Security Council's 10 non-permanent members Monday at U.N. headquarters in New York.

"Many council members were not happy that details of the [U.S.] proposal were leaked to the press before they received them," confessed one council diplomat, who requested anonymity.

Last Friday, U.S. and British television networks broadcast details of the council's proposed action on Iraq.

As such, many of those members are now expected to scrutinize any proposal the Bush administration may put forward.

It is expected that the White House will "unofficially" circulate a draft proposal in writing today.

"We just do not know when it could come to a vote," confessed the council diplomat. "It could take weeks. We hope it doesn't. We just don't know."

According to U.N. sources, problems abound.

The U.S. and Britain still have not convinced the other permanent Security Council members (France, Russia and China) that a new action authorizing force against Iraq is needed.

The U.S. position was further complicated with reports from Vienna that U.N. chief arms inspector Hans Blix, meeting an Iraqi government delegation, "was satisfied" with his preliminary discussions on the mechanics of resuming inspections.

Previously, Blix had hoped to send his teams into Baghdad by Oct. 15.

That date could now be jeopardy.

Sources close to the U.N. arms chief explained that he would be "reluctant" to send his people into Iraq before the Security Council acts.

Though UNMOVIC (U.N. Monitoring, Observation, Verification and Observation Commission) could begin its operations under existing resolutions by the council, it might be hesitant to do so, confided a U.N. source close to the situation.

Changing the ground rules in such a fundamental fashion once inspections are under way could prove difficult, it was explained.

Iraq's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, told NewsMax.com that the U.S. was "losing" support for a new resolution.

"They must still worry about a veto, I have no doubt about it. The resolution they [U.S.] will circulate would be vetoed."

The stalling U.S. move in the Security Council comes as the administration is putting increasing pressure on Congress to act on its own war resolution before it adjourns for the midterm elections.

Last weekend, a group of U.S. congressmen led by David Bonior, D-Mich., which was touring Iraq, also suggested that the White House delay any military action until after U.N. arms inspections resume.

Explained one U.S. diplomat: "We need a new [U.N.]resolution [soon]. If we do not get one, there are other ways we can take care of the matter [Saddam Hussein]."

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