US embassy cable - 03OTTAWA453

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000453 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR P, IO/UNP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/16/2008 
TAGS: PARM, PREL, CA, UNSC 
SUBJECT: IRAQ: SECRETARY POWELL'S ADDRESS TO SECURITY 
COUNCIL FEBRUARY 14 
 
REF: STATE 44441 
 
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires a.i. Stephen R. Kelly, Reasons:  1.5 ( 
B and D) 
 
1.  (C)  Charge contacted Canadian Political Director Jim 
Wright Feb. 16 to urge that Canada make a statement on Iraq 
during the Feb. 18 UNSC Open Meeting.    Wright said he had 
already drafted such a statement for Foreign Minister Graham 
- one which tracks very well with the talking points reftel - 
and was recommending that Canada use this chance to put its 
views before the entire UNSC.  Wright said he would let the 
minister know we had indeed urged Canada to take this step. 
 
2.  (C)  Wright said his draft statement makes the following 
points: 
 
--    Canada believes the fundamental issue is that Iraq has 
not accepted the need to disarm itself. 
 
--    Intensified inspections are not the answer.  The answer 
is a change in attitude on the part of Iraq. 
 
--    If Iraq was providing willing, active and transparent 
cooperation to the inspectors, the inspection process could 
be very short. 
 
--    Canada continues to say it wants the issued resolved 
through the United Nations. 
 
--    A divided UNSC serves no one's purposes. 
 
--    Time is clearly running out. 
 
3. (C)   Wright said he had followed the Secretary's Feb. 14 
statement very closely.  He was urging FM Graham to use the 
Open Meeting as an opportunity for Canada to put its views 
before all the UNSC members before they meet on a possible 
second resolution, with the intention of putting the onus of 
action on the council and the Iraqis..  He said he would have 
a chance to discuss this more with the U.S. this week in 
Paris at the G-8 political directors meeting, where he would 
see Under Secretary for Political Affairs Marc Grossman. 
 
4. (C)  Comment:  Wright stressed that Graham had not yet 
signed off on his draft, nor definitively decided to make a 
statement.  But on the latter point he asked, "Why wouldn't 
we?", and on the former, he implied his minister would be on 
board.  End Comment. 
KELLY