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US Lobbies France on Iraq, Chirac Stands Firm
Fri Sep 27, 4:07 PM ET
By Sophie Louet (Reuters)
PARIS (Reuters) - France stood firm in the face of heavy U.S. lobbying Friday and rejected Washington's call to support a tough U.N. resolution on Iraq backed by a threat of military action if Baghdad hindered arms inspectors.
President Jacques Chirac listened to President Bush ( news - web sites) outline the draft resolution over the phone but stuck to an earlier French proposal, his spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said. That plan avoids military action in the first instance.
Also in Paris, visiting Prime Minister Zhu Rongji of China, another veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, warned Washington of the "incalculable consequences" of an attack on Iraq that was not backed by the Security Council.
Colonna said Chirac "reiterated that France remains more than ever in favor of a two-step approach and that this is the view of the majority of the international community."
Chirac's plan, announced earlier this month, is for a first resolution demanding the unrestricted return of arms inspectors to Iraq. The Security Council should only pass a tough second resolution on further action if Baghdad hinders the inspectors.
The firm French stand came as a senior U.S. official, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman, met Foreign Ministry officials and Chirac's diplomatic adviser in Paris to argue for the tougher Bush approach.
Britain's Foreign Office political director Peter Ricketts was also in Paris Friday to lobby his French counterparts, a Foreign Office source said. Grossman and Ricketts were both due to go to Moscow Saturday to press the case there.
Reporting to journalists on Chirac's call with Bush, Colonna said, "The president (Chirac) reiterated France's position to him -- that disarming Iraq is necessary and must be done within a U.N. framework.
RAPID AND UNCONDITIONAL RETURN
"The objective is the rapid and unconditional return of U.N. inspectors to Iraq. A simple, firm resolution which shows the unity and determination of the international community could help on this front," she said.
Colonna said after Zhu's meeting with Chirac Thursday that Beijing supported the two-step approach.
Zhu, speaking after meeting French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said China insisted Baghdad must comply with U.N. disarmament resolutions without restriction.
"At the same time, we have to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.
"If the weapons inspections do not take place, if we do not have clear proof and if we do not have the authorization of the Security Council, we cannot launch a military attack on Iraq -- otherwise, there would be incalculable consequences."
Tightly screened off from journalists, Grossman first held talks at the Quai d'Orsay Foreign Ministry and was then whisked off for another meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace.
Both U.S. and French officials were tight-lipped about the talks and no briefings with the media were planned. Diplomats said France appeared to be reluctant to give the talks a high profile since it disagreed with Washington's approach.
"We are receiving him as part of our conversations with all members of the Security Council," Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman Bernard Valero said.
"This is a meeting in the framework of our consultations about Iraq," said Colonna. Grossman met Chirac's diplomatic adviser Jean-Marc de la Sabliere.
Washington has Britain's backing for a U.S. draft of a Security Council resolution that would warn Iraq of serious consequences if it did not comply with disarmament demands.
France and Russia, also veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are wary of giving the green light to U.S. military action. Raffarin said Thursday everything should be done to avoid war.
Fri Sep 27, 4:07 PM ET
By Sophie Louet (Reuters)
PARIS (Reuters) - France stood firm in the face of heavy U.S. lobbying Friday and rejected Washington's call to support a tough U.N. resolution on Iraq backed by a threat of military action if Baghdad hindered arms inspectors.
President Jacques Chirac listened to President Bush ( news - web sites) outline the draft resolution over the phone but stuck to an earlier French proposal, his spokeswoman Catherine Colonna said. That plan avoids military action in the first instance.
Also in Paris, visiting Prime Minister Zhu Rongji of China, another veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, warned Washington of the "incalculable consequences" of an attack on Iraq that was not backed by the Security Council.
Colonna said Chirac "reiterated that France remains more than ever in favor of a two-step approach and that this is the view of the majority of the international community."
Chirac's plan, announced earlier this month, is for a first resolution demanding the unrestricted return of arms inspectors to Iraq. The Security Council should only pass a tough second resolution on further action if Baghdad hinders the inspectors.
The firm French stand came as a senior U.S. official, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman, met Foreign Ministry officials and Chirac's diplomatic adviser in Paris to argue for the tougher Bush approach.
Britain's Foreign Office political director Peter Ricketts was also in Paris Friday to lobby his French counterparts, a Foreign Office source said. Grossman and Ricketts were both due to go to Moscow Saturday to press the case there.
Reporting to journalists on Chirac's call with Bush, Colonna said, "The president (Chirac) reiterated France's position to him -- that disarming Iraq is necessary and must be done within a U.N. framework.
RAPID AND UNCONDITIONAL RETURN
"The objective is the rapid and unconditional return of U.N. inspectors to Iraq. A simple, firm resolution which shows the unity and determination of the international community could help on this front," she said.
Colonna said after Zhu's meeting with Chirac Thursday that Beijing supported the two-step approach.
Zhu, speaking after meeting French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, said China insisted Baghdad must comply with U.N. disarmament resolutions without restriction.
"At the same time, we have to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity," he added.
"If the weapons inspections do not take place, if we do not have clear proof and if we do not have the authorization of the Security Council, we cannot launch a military attack on Iraq -- otherwise, there would be incalculable consequences."
Tightly screened off from journalists, Grossman first held talks at the Quai d'Orsay Foreign Ministry and was then whisked off for another meeting at the presidential Elysee Palace.
Both U.S. and French officials were tight-lipped about the talks and no briefings with the media were planned. Diplomats said France appeared to be reluctant to give the talks a high profile since it disagreed with Washington's approach.
"We are receiving him as part of our conversations with all members of the Security Council," Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman Bernard Valero said.
"This is a meeting in the framework of our consultations about Iraq," said Colonna. Grossman met Chirac's diplomatic adviser Jean-Marc de la Sabliere.
Washington has Britain's backing for a U.S. draft of a Security Council resolution that would warn Iraq of serious consequences if it did not comply with disarmament demands.
France and Russia, also veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, are wary of giving the green light to U.S. military action. Raffarin said Thursday everything should be done to avoid war.
