Steven R. Weisman and Felicity Barringer/NYT The New York Times  Friday, February 21, 2003
Goal is 9 sure votes for a resolution that only veto could stop
 
WASHINGTON The United States and Britain have decided that their strategy in the United Nations will be to try to persuade nine of the 15 members of the Security Council to back a new resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, and then to challenge France, Russia or China to veto the will of the council's majority, according to administration officials. American and British officials were working to bridge their own differences over the resolution's language while refining it to attract the support of as many council members as possible.
.
Officials of the Bush administration said that the negotiations would delay the resolution's introduction until next week, possibly Monday.
.
One point of disagreement was a desire by British diplomats to include in the resolution an explicit deadline for Iraq to disclose its weapons and start disarming, administration officials said. American officials were said to be reluctant to include such a provision.
.
The strategy reflects an evolution in the two countries' thinking. A month or so ago, they were still hoping for unanimous council approval.
.
Some officials involved in the discussions argued that a resolution approved by a divided council - with those nations holding veto power abstaining - would be viewed by the world as so weak that it might be preferable to go to war without any resolution at all. In the last few weeks, however, administration officials have concluded that a resolution with a weak majority would still have authority.
.
The Security Council on Thursday put off until March 7 the next report by Hans Blix, the chief UN inspector for chemical and biological weapons. An administration official said that British diplomats wanted the resolution to make reference to this presentation as the last chance for President Saddam Hussein of Iraq to avoid war. (来源：http://www.EnglishCN.com)
.
It takes nine votes to pass a resolution, and the United States and Britain have only two allies committed to voting in favor of authorizing the use of force, Bulgaria and Spain. If any of the other permanent council members - Russia, France and China - votes no, the resolution is killed. However, members have the option of abstaining.
.
Part of the discussion this week, according to knowledgeable diplomats, is what it might take to win over six wavering council nations, known informally as the middle six: Angola, Guinea, Cameroon, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan, countries that do not command a great deal of diplomatic attention, as a rule.
.
"These countries are really feeling the heat, and they're going to be feeling even more heat in coming days," an administration official said. "On the other side, the French and Germans are turning up the pressure, too."
.
The strategy is now one of trying to get Russia, France and China to acquiesce by abstaining, perhaps under pressure, if there is a solid base of 9 or 10 votes in favor. But many in the administration concede that this would be extremely difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the administration remained unable Thursday to close a deal with Turkey on approval for American troops to open a northern front against Iraq in the event of a war. Some in the administration said they were pessimistic that an accord could be reached, whereas others expressed incredulity that Turkey would turn down the United States' offer of $26 billion in aid.
.
A point of disagreement was over the terms demanded by Turkey. American officials said Turkey wanted more money than the $6 billion in grants and $20 billion they had been offered. But there also were signs that Turkey was seeking oil concessions and a role for its troops in northern Iraq.
.
At the United Nations, the current draft of the resolution would declare Saddam in "further material breach" of his obligations to disclose his weapons and disarm, and would declare further that "serious consequences" must come into play. France, meanwhile, has not been relaxing. In Paris, French officials met with leaders of several African countries, including Angola, Guinea and Cameroon, and they joined in a statement endorsing the French position on the issue.
.
Specifically, the statement called on Iraq to disarm and supported "the continuation of the inspections and the substantial enhancement of their human and technical capabilities."
.
Both the French and Germans on one side and the British and Americans on the other say that they are not trying to use economic leverage on these countries, but many diplomats at the United Nations know that the sizable aid programs from all these countries are weighing heavily.
.
A separate part of the Bush administration's strategy has been the hope - and in many quarters an expectation - that Blix will be more specific than he has in the past on Iraq's shortcomings when he next reports to the United Nations in March.
.
The main "tasks" before Iraq, as the Bush administration calls them, are unfettered interviews with scientists and others knowledgeable about Iraq's weapons programs, unimpeded overflights by reconnaissance aircraft and the destruction of rockets that Blix has said violate the limits on their range.
.
Iraq allows a new U-2 flight
.
Iraq has allowed another flight by an American U-2 spy plane, but a UN spokesman said that the Iraqi government still was not cooperating fully with the inspection program, The Associated Press reported from Baghdad.
.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that the plane spent 6 hours and 20 minutes over Iraqi territory Thursday searching for evidence of banned weapons.
.
Iraq allowed the first U-2 flight Monday after resisting such flights since the inspection program resumed in November. 

< < Back to Start of Article Goal is 9 sure votes for a resolution that only veto could stop
 
WASHINGTON The United States and Britain have decided that their strategy in the United Nations will be to try to persuade nine of the 15 members of the Security Council to back a new resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, and then to challenge France, Russia or China to veto the will of the council's majority, according to administration officials. American and British officials were working to bridge their own differences over the resolution's language while refining it to attract the support of as many council members as possible.
.
Officials of the Bush administration said that the negotiations would delay the resolution's introduction until next week, possibly Monday.
.
One point of disagreement was a desire by British diplomats to include in the resolution an explicit deadline for Iraq to disclose its weapons and start disarming, administration officials said. American officials were said to be reluctant to include such a provision.
.
The strategy reflects an evolution in the two countries' thinking. A month or so ago, they were still hoping for unanimous council approval.
.
Some officials involved in the discussions argued that a resolution approved by a divided council - with those nations holding veto power abstaining - would be viewed by the world as so weak that it might be preferable to go to war without any resolution at all. In the last few weeks, however, administration officials have concluded that a resolution with a weak majority would still have authority.
.
The Security Council on Thursday put off until March 7 the next report by Hans Blix, the chief UN inspector for chemical and biological weapons. An administration official said that British diplomats wanted the resolution to make reference to this presentation as the last chance for President Saddam Hussein of Iraq to avoid war.
.
It takes nine votes to pass a resolution, and the United States and Britain have only two allies committed to voting in favor of authorizing the use of force, Bulgaria and Spain. If any of the other permanent council members - Russia, France and China - votes no, the resolution is killed. However, members have the option of abstaining.
.
Part of the discussion this week, according to knowledgeable diplomats, is what it might take to win over six wavering council nations, known informally as the middle six: Angola, Guinea, Cameroon, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan, countries that do not command a great deal of diplomatic attention, as a rule.
.
"These countries are really feeling the heat, and they're going to be feeling even more heat in coming days," an administration official said. "On the other side, the French and Germans are turning up the pressure, too."
.
The strategy is now one of trying to get Russia, France and China to acquiesce by abstaining, perhaps under pressure, if there is a solid base of 9 or 10 votes in favor. But many in the administration concede that this would be extremely difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the administration remained unable Thursday to close a deal with Turkey on approval for American troops to open a northern front against Iraq in the event of a war. Some in the administration said they were pessimistic that an accord could be reached, whereas others expressed incredulity that Turkey would turn down the United States' offer of $26 billion in aid.
.
A point of disagreement was over the terms demanded by Turkey. American officials said Turkey wanted more money than the $6 billion in grants and $20 billion they had been offered. But there also were signs that Turkey was seeking oil concessions and a role for its troops in northern Iraq.
.
At the United Nations, the current draft of the resolution would declare Saddam in "further material breach" of his obligations to disclose his weapons and disarm, and would declare further that "serious consequences" must come into play. France, meanwhile, has not been relaxing. In Paris, French officials met with leaders of several African countries, including Angola, Guinea and Cameroon, and they joined in a statement endorsing the French position on the issue.
.
Specifically, the statement called on Iraq to disarm and supported "the continuation of the inspections and the substantial enhancement of their human and technical capabilities."
.
Both the French and Germans on one side and the British and Americans on the other say that they are not trying to use economic leverage on these countries, but many diplomats at the United Nations know that the sizable aid programs from all these countries are weighing heavily.
.
A separate part of the Bush administration's strategy has been the hope - and in many quarters an expectation - that Blix will be more specific than he has in the past on Iraq's shortcomings when he next reports to the United Nations in March.
.
The main "tasks" before Iraq, as the Bush administration calls them, are unfettered interviews with scientists and others knowledgeable about Iraq's weapons programs, unimpeded overflights by reconnaissance aircraft and the destruction of rockets that Blix has said violate the limits on their range.
.
Iraq allows a new U-2 flight
.
Iraq has allowed another flight by an American U-2 spy plane, but a UN spokesman said that the Iraqi government still was not cooperating fully with the inspection program, The Associated Press reported from Baghdad.
.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that the plane spent 6 hours and 20 minutes over Iraqi territory Thursday searching for evidence of banned weapons.
.
Iraq allowed the first U-2 flight Monday after resisting such flights since the inspection program resumed in November. Goal is 9 sure votes for a resolution that only veto could stop
 
WASHINGTON The United States and Britain have decided that their strategy in the United Nations will be to try to persuade nine of the 15 members of the Security Council to back a new resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, and then to challenge France, Russia or China to veto the will of the council's majority, according to administration officials. American and British officials were working to bridge their own differences over the resolution's language while refining it to attract the support of as many council members as possible.
.
Officials of the Bush administration said that the negotiations would delay the resolution's introduction until next week, possibly Monday.
.
One point of disagreement was a desire by British diplomats to include in the resolution an explicit deadline for Iraq to disclose its weapons and start disarming, administration officials said. American officials were said to be reluctant to include such a provision.
.
The strategy reflects an evolution in the two countries' thinking. A month or so ago, they were still hoping for unanimous council approval.
.
Some officials involved in the discussions argued that a resolution approved by a divided council - with those nations holding veto power abstaining - would be viewed by the world as so weak that it might be preferable to go to war without any resolution at all. In the last few weeks, however, administration officials have concluded that a resolution with a weak majority would still have authority.
.
The Security Council on Thursday put off until March 7 the next report by Hans Blix, the chief UN inspector for chemical and biological weapons. An administration official said that British diplomats wanted the resolution to make reference to this presentation as the last chance for President Saddam Hussein of Iraq to avoid war.
.
It takes nine votes to pass a resolution, and the United States and Britain have only two allies committed to voting in favor of authorizing the use of force, Bulgaria and Spain. If any of the other permanent council members - Russia, France and China - votes no, the resolution is killed. However, members have the option of abstaining.
.
Part of the discussion this week, according to knowledgeable diplomats, is what it might take to win over six wavering council nations, known informally as the middle six: Angola, Guinea, Cameroon, Mexico, Chile and Pakistan, countries that do not command a great deal of diplomatic attention, as a rule.
.
"These countries are really feeling the heat, and they're going to be feeling even more heat in coming days," an administration official said. "On the other side, the French and Germans are turning up the pressure, too."
.
The strategy is now one of trying to get Russia, France and China to acquiesce by abstaining, perhaps under pressure, if there is a solid base of 9 or 10 votes in favor. But many in the administration concede that this would be extremely difficult to achieve. Meanwhile, the administration remained unable Thursday to close a deal with Turkey on approval for American troops to open a northern front against Iraq in the event of a war. Some in the administration said they were pessimistic that an accord could be reached, whereas others expressed incredulity that Turkey would turn down the United States' offer of $26 billion in aid.
.
A point of disagreement was over the terms demanded by Turkey. American officials said Turkey wanted more money than the $6 billion in grants and $20 billion they had been offered. But there also were signs that Turkey was seeking oil concessions and a role for its troops in northern Iraq.
.
At the United Nations, the current draft of the resolution would declare Saddam in "further material breach" of his obligations to disclose his weapons and disarm, and would declare further that "serious consequences" must come into play. France, meanwhile, has not been relaxing. In Paris, French officials met with leaders of several African countries, including Angola, Guinea and Cameroon, and they joined in a statement endorsing the French position on the issue.
.
Specifically, the statement called on Iraq to disarm and supported "the continuation of the inspections and the substantial enhancement of their human and technical capabilities."
.
Both the French and Germans on one side and the British and Americans on the other say that they are not trying to use economic leverage on these countries, but many diplomats at the United Nations know that the sizable aid programs from all these countries are weighing heavily.
.
A separate part of the Bush administration's strategy has been the hope - and in many quarters an expectation - that Blix will be more specific than he has in the past on Iraq's shortcomings when he next reports to the United Nations in March.
.
The main "tasks" before Iraq, as the Bush administration calls them, are unfettered interviews with scientists and others knowledgeable about Iraq's weapons programs, unimpeded overflights by reconnaissance aircraft and the destruction of rockets that Blix has said violate the limits on their range.
.
Iraq allows a new U-2 flight
.
Iraq has allowed another flight by an American U-2 spy plane, but a UN spokesman said that the Iraqi government still was not cooperating fully with the inspection program, The Associated Press reported from Baghdad.
.
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said that the plane spent 6 hours and 20 minutes over Iraqi territory Thursday searching for evidence of banned weapons.
.
Iraq allowed the first U-2 flight Monday after resisting such flights since the inspection program resumed in November. Goal is 9 sure votes for a resolution that only veto could stop
 
WASHINGTON The United States and Britain have decided that their strategy in the United Nations will be to try to persuade nine of the 15 members of the Security Council to back a new resolution authorizing the use of force against Iraq, and then to challenge France, Russia or China to veto the will of the council's majority, according to administration officials. American and British officials were working to bridge their own differences over the resolution's language while refining it to attract the support of as many council members as possible.
.
Officials of the Bush administration said that the negotiations would delay the resolution's introduction until next week, possibly Monday.
.
One point of disagreement was a desire by British diplomats to include in the resolution an explicit deadline for Iraq to disclose its weapons and start disarming, administration officials said. American officials were said to be reluctant to include such a provision.