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The U.N. Security Council agreed on Tuesday to hold an emergency debate on Iraq but Arab envoys were undecided whether to push a resolution demanding an immediate end to the U.S.-led war. The debate was set for Wednesday at 3 p.m. and council diplomats said all 191 U.N. members would be invited to speak rather than just the council's 15 member-nations.
Arab diplomats said they feared a resolution calling for an immediate withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq could be defeated and thereby serve to legitimize the U.S.-British invasion after the fact. Syrian U.N. Ambassador Mikhail Wehbe, who on Monday said the Arab group at the United Nations intended to seek adoption of a resolution demanding an end to the U.S.-led invasion, said on Tuesday that no decision had yet been made on a resolution. The Arab group of 22 countries formally requested an urgent Security Council debate on Monday evening after Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo adopted a declaration demanding an immediate end to the Iraq war and the withdrawal of all foreign forces. The group's request was delivered to the council by Iraqi U.N. ambassador Mohammed Aldouri, this month's Arab group president.
But a resolution demanding an end to the U.S.-led attack on Iraq would appear to have no chance of approval. Both the United States and Britain have veto power in the council. In addition, six of the council's 15 members refused to take sides earlier this month when the United States and Britain pushed for a resolution giving Iraq an ultimatum to quickly show its commitment to disarmament or face war. |