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White House 'more confident' U.N. will pass Iraq resolution
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Bush administration is feeling "more confident" that it is "pretty close" to having the votes to pass a tough new U.N. resolution calling on Iraq to disarm or face serious consequences, a senior administration official told CNN on Friday. The official, who asked not to be identified, said the United States believes it is close to having enough votes even without approval from France or Russia, two permanent members of the U.N. Security Council with veto power.
The administration is heartened because although the two nations have not backed the U.S.-British proposal, they have not threatened to veto it, either. The focus now, the official said, is trying to get the French and Russians "on board" with the resolution. Nine "yes" votes from the 15 nations on the Security Council and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members are required to pass a resolution. The United States continues to push for a resolution that would call for Iraq to face serious consequences if it does not disarm and would specify that Iraq is in "material breach" of its obligations to disarm under previous U.N. resolutions. The senior official said the diplomats are "tweaking some language" but refused to provide details on the resolution. The official indicated that although no decision about calling for a vote has been made, the outlook is likely for a vote toward "the second half of next week." "We need to wrap this up," the official added. "This discussion has gone on for some time," and has been "probably the most exhaustive discussion on a single issue" in the Security Council. The calendar is also driving the United States' timetable. President George W. Bush, after his speech to the United Nations on September 12, called for that body to act in "days and weeks," not "months and years." November 12 would mark two months since Bush's address. While campaigning for Republican candidates Friday, Bush continued to say that the United Nations must act, or else the United States will lead an international coalition to disarm Iraq. "The U.N. will fulfill its obligations to peace. (Iraqi leader) Saddam Hussein will disarm. If not, for the sake of peace, for the sake of securing the homeland and the sake of protecting our friends and allies, the United States will lead a mighty coalition of freedom-loving nations and disarm Saddam Hussein," Bush said during a speech in Pennsylvania. Bush said he had raised the issue of Iraqi disarmament with the United Nations and with the U.S. Congress, "because in my judgment and the judgment of a lot of people, Saddam Hussein is a serious threat to America, he's a threat to our friends, he's a threat to our allies."
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