Henry Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 France, Russia and China: Stop, or I'll say stop again. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29657-2003Feb5.html Reactions to Powell's Speech in the United Nations Compiled from wire reports Wednesday, February 5, 2003; 1:01 PM France France proposed strengthening weapons inspections in Iraq, including tripling the number of inspectors and placing a full-time monitor in Baghdad to oversee the process, after hearing Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation Wednesday on Iraq's failure to disarm. "The use of force can only be a final recourse," French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin told the U.N. Security Council. "We must move on to a new stage and further strengthen the inspections." De Vellpin said France would carefully review the evidence provided by Powell, but he emphasized that inspections were working and had resulted in major achievements. Still, he acknowledged there was more Iraq could do to cooperate with a beefed-up inspections regime to avert war. "Given the choice between military intervention and an inspections regime which is inadequate because of a failure to operate on Iraq's part, we must choose the decisive reinforcement of the means of inspection. This is today what France is proposing." Russia U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation to the Security Council Wednesday reinforced Russia's belief that weapons inspections must continue in Iraq, said Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov, who urged Baghdad to cooperate. At the same time, Ivanov said: "the information given to us today will require very serious and thorough study. Experts in our countries must get down to analyzing it and drawing the appropriate conclusions from it." He called on Baghdad to "give the inspectors answers to the questions that we have heard in the presentation by the U.S. secretary of state." "The information provided today by the U.S. secretary of state once again convincingly indicates the fact that the activities of the international inspectors in Iraq must be continued," Ivanov said. "They alone can provide an answer to the question of to what extent is Iraq complying with the demands of the Security Council." China China, a powerful Security Council member, also came out in support of continued inspections and said it was ready to make all efforts to avert war. "It is the universal desire of the international community to see a political settlement to the issue of Iraq and avoid any war," Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said in a prepared statement he read to the council. "As long as there still is the slightest hope for a political settlement, we must exert out utmost effort to achieve that. China is ready to join others in working towards this direction," Tang said. Great Britain Jack Straw of Britain, America's closest ally, stood firmly behind the United States. Saddam Hussein "must be left in no doubt as to the serious situation he now faces. Time is now very short. If noncooperation continues, this council must meet its responsibilities," the British foreign secretary said. © 2003 Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kilmer17 Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 A group of Boy Scouts rose towards the end of the meeting, at which point the France delegate rose and surrendered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codeorama Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 Originally posted by Kilmer17 A group of Boy Scouts rose towards the end of the meeting, at which point the France delegate rose and surrendered. That was pretty funny...:laugh: I'd say at this point, the UN is pretty ignorant. On a serious note, I know that Polock jokes were started because they could not defend themselves in either world war... why weren't they French jokes? They folded pretty damn fast themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redman Posted February 5, 2003 Share Posted February 5, 2003 For the record, the Pollack jokes were/are because the Poles have been culturally considered backward in addition to always seeming to be subjugated by other countries, typically Prussia/Germany and Russia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just skins baby Posted February 6, 2003 Share Posted February 6, 2003 I think we should just wait saddam out, maybe let him invade Iran and take them over, our we could parcel out parts of Kuwait for him. Wait a minute, wasn't that the plan back in the 30's with some German guy? Spoken with tongue firmly in cheek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom [Giants fan] Posted February 7, 2003 Share Posted February 7, 2003 The U.S. will get full support for war from these countries when Saddam uses weapons of mass destruction. Unfortunately, it is going to take something like that for everyone to get on the same page. And to be honest, it would worry me if we go to war with Iraq with Russia, China, and France against it. I would feel much better if everyone supported the idea. Plus, I think there is still time to do inspections. Maybe Bush can push for a deadline in April. Showing good faith and not rushing into war even though I don't see it as rushing in. But the other countries in the U.N. against war would. I just think going in when there are so many against could only escalate things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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