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U.N. resolution on Iraq 'closer'
MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) -- The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council have come significantly closer to agree a resolution on Iraq in recent days, Russia's foreign minister has said. But Igor Ivanov admitted that "significant differences remain," the Interfax new agency reported. "We insist that if inspectors face problems and if Iraq is found to be in violation of the U.N. Security Council resolutions, the Security Council will take up the issue again to decide what to do next," Interfax quoted Ivanov as saying. According to the report, Ivanov said the decision must be adopted "in line with the U.N. Charter that provides, in particular, for use of force in such cases." The United States accuses Iraq of having chemical and biological weapons and working to develop nuclear weapons in violation of U.N. resolutions dating back to the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Iraq denies the allegations and has invited U.N. weapons inspectors back for the first time since 1998. For more than a month, the Security Council permanent members -- U.S., Britain, Russia, France and China -- have been engaged in intense discussions over a resolution that would send weapons inspectors back to Iraq with the implied threat of military force behind them. Moscow, Paris and Beijing are concerned that the U.S. will take unilateral against Baghdad if weapons inspectors stymied in their efforts by Iraqi officials. The three Security Council members prefer a two-stage approach -- one that would send weapons inspectors back into Iraq and require another Security Council vote to authorise military action if the inspectors are rebuffed. The U.N. Security Council is now expected to vote next week on such a resolution. The council concluded a discussion on Wednesday, with one Chinese diplomat saying that "the ball is now in the U.S. court," and the U.S. is working on new wording. The crucial sticking point is the reference to Iraq being in "material breach" of its obligations under U.N. resolutions. But diplomats say Russia has told members that it might be willing to keep the contentious phrase "material breach" in the resolution depending on how it was used.
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