USA Still Trying to Convince UN Security Council

Colin Powell showed satellite photos, but refused to say where he took them from

The UN Security Council did not give a high estimation to the spectacular show that was staged by US Secretary of State Colin Powell yesterday. The session of the UN Security Council was initiated by the United States. Colin Powell stated at the session that Iraq did not take any disarming efforts, which was a violation of UN resolutions. The US Secretary of State played the audio record of intercepted calls between Iraqi officials (the calls were intercepted by American special services). Iraqi officials talked about preparations for UN inspectors’ visit. Some person said on the tape that all arms had been hidden very well. Colin Powell also showed several satellite photos depicting Iraqi military objects. Particularly, there was a photograph of a chemical factory in the Taji area, as well as some military objects, which produce ballistic missiles, as Americans believe. Colin Powell stated that the images depicted the movement of some sort of equipment as well.

The Secretary of State made a very good intro, but things got really bad afterwards. When it came to certain things, what kind of equipment that was, and where it was moved to, Colin Powell gave it up. He could not specify, what kind of equipment it was, and where it was supposed to be moved. However, he added that all of those moves were registered several days before international inspectors visited those objects. Colin Powell tried to make it all sound good for the United States, though. He concluded that the Iraqi regime developed a system to conceal prohibited weapons from UN inspectors.

The analysis of those images shows that Iraq moves its defense technology in order not to allow international inspectors find it. Three permanent members of the UN Security Council – Russia, France and China - have been keeping silence during Colin Powell’s speech. They ignored Washington’s another attack. The indignation broke out after Powell refused to specify, in which way the Americans obtained that information. He stated that the USA decided not to expose the source of that information for security reasons.

How is it possible to solve the fate of a certain country without having the complete information about its illegal activities? The majority of 15 UN Security Council members said that Iraq should show the fact of its cooperation with international arms inspectors as soon as possible. The members of the council also confirmed the necessity to continue the inspections in Iraq and to search for diplomatic ways of settling the situation in order to prevent the war. Furthermore, France and Germany urged to intensify the inspection order, which was approved by the UN Security Council resolution in November of 2002. Only the USA and Great Britain (of 15 Security Council members) still stand for the war against Saddam Hussein. Although, as it is expected, Spain and Bulgaria will take part in any coalition against Iraq.

An anonymous senior spokesman for the White House said that the next couple of days after Powell’s speech were going to be critical ones. France’s reaction will be the key one for Washington. If French President Jacques Chirac will keep on insisting to veto the new resolution for Iraq, George Bush will reject the idea to make the UN Security Council back the United States. America will start acting alone.

Dmitry Chirkin
PRAVDA.Ru

Translated by Dmitry Sudakov