Not Your Sweetie

UN Security Council Sets Emergency Debate on Iraq
Tue March 25, 2003 03:24 PM ET By Irwin Arieff

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council agreed on Tuesday to
hold an emergency debate on Iraq but Arab envoys were undecided whether to
push a resolution demanding an immediate end to the U.S.-led war.

The debate was set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. and council diplomats said all 191
U.N. members would be invited to speak rather than just the council's 15
member-nations.

Arab diplomats said they feared a resolution calling for an immediate
withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq could be defeated and thereby serve to
legitimize the U.S.-British invasion after the fact.

Syrian U.N. Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe, who on Monday said the Arab group at
the United Nations intended to seek adoption of a resolution demanding an end
to the U.S.-led invasion, said on Tuesday that no decision had yet been made
on a resolution.

"No, not yet," Wehbe said when asked whether Arab envoys had decided to press
for a resolution.

He said the emergency council debate would give U.N. members a chance "to
raise their voices."

"After that, we will see what we can do in the light of the discussions,"
Wehbe said.

Another Arab envoy, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "We are holding
off on putting forward a draft resolution. We must first see what is
possible."

The Arab group of 22 countries formally requested an urgent Security Council
debate on Monday evening after Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo
adopted a declaration demanding an immediate end to the Iraq war and the
withdrawal of all foreign forces.

The group's request was delivered to the council by Iraqi U.N. ambassador
Mohammed Aldouri, this month's Arab group president.

The U.N. group of 166 non-aligned nations, currently led by Malaysia, also
backed an emergency session, and routine council approval of the request had
been widely expected.

But a resolution demanding an end to the U.S.-led attack on Iraq would appear
to have no chance of approval. Both the United States and Britain have veto
power in the council.

In addition, six of the council's 15 members refused to take sides earlier
this month when the United States and Britain pushed for a resolution giving
Iraq an ultimatum to quickly show its commitment to disarmament or face war.