Blix: UNMOVIC in Baghdad Next Monday

The executive chairman of the UN weapons inspection team, Hans Blix, declared on Friday that the team would arrive in Baghdad on Monday 18th November to begin inspections.

The President of the UN Security Council, which issued a unanimous message to Baghdad to accept the conditions of the resolution of face “serious consequences” in the form of the Resolution 1441 passed on Friday, called the document “a message of peace, a message of goodwill, a message of hope”.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan declared that he hoped Iraq will “seize the opportunity” to comply with the resolution and “what is important is performance”. US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte described the resolution as “a very strong and important message to the Government of Iraq that the Council and the international community are united in their demand that they comply with their disarmament obligation” while admitting that the text of the document contains “no hidden triggers” threatening violence.

British Ambassador to the UN Sir Jeremy Greenstock declared that of Iraq chose the path of concealment and non-compliance, the matter will go back to the Security Council for a further debate on action to be taken. This message gores against Washington’s former position advocating the right to use force unilaterally and outside the jurisdiction of the UNO.

Russia’s Ambassador, Sergey Lavrov, confirmed that intensive talks behind the scenes had provided a document that “does not contain any provisions about automatic use of force”. The text #deflects the direct threat of war and opens up the road to further work in the interests of a political, diplomatic settlement”.

Diplomacy has won the day over violence, at least as far as the UNO is concerned. The first steps towards a New World Order based on multi-lateral and egalitarian participation have been taken. Now it is up to Baghdad to see how practical it is to implement.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru