US embassy cable - 03USUNNEWYORK718

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000718 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, PARM, UNSC, IZ 
SUBJECT: UN/IRAQ: ELEMENTS OF UK/U.S./SPAIN STATEMENT ON IRAQ 
 
1. (U) IN COMMENTS TO THE PRESS BEFORE INFORMAL 
CONSULTATIONS, MARCH 17, UK PERMREP GREENSTOCK, ACCOMPANIED 
BY SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS AND AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE, ISSUED A 
JOINT STATEMENT ON IRAQ. FOLLOWING GREENSTOCK'S COMMENTS, 
AMBASSADORS NEGROPONTE AND ARIAS PROVIDED STATEMENTS TO THE 
PRESS. 
 
 
ELEMENTS OF UK/U.S./SPAIN STATEMENT ON IRAQ AS PRESENTED BY 
UK PERMREP GREENSTOCK 
--------------------------------------------- --------------- 
 
2. (U) AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WORKED VERY HARD IN THE LAST FEW 
DAYS IN A FINAL EFFORT TO SEEK A COUNCIL CONSENSUS ON IRAQ. 
IN AN EFFORT TO REUNITE THE COUNCIL, THE UNITED KINGDOM 
PROPOSED LAST WEEK AN ULTIMATUM WHICH WOULD CHALLENGE IRAQ TO 
TAKE A STRATEGIC DECISION TO DISARM. 
 
THERE WERE THREE KEY ELEMENTS TO THE COMPROMISE WE PROPOSED: 
 
-TOUGH BUT REALIZABLE TESTS, INCLUDING AN UNEQUIVOCAL 
COMMITMENT TO DISARMAMENT BY SADDAM HUSSEIN; 
 
-A REALISTIC BUT TIGHT TIMETABLE FOR COMPLETION OF THOSE 
TESTS GIVEN THE URGENT NEED FOR IRAQ TO COMPLY AFTER 12 YEARS 
OF PREVARICATION; 
 
-AND, THIRD, AN UNDERSTANDING THAT IF IRAQ FAILED THE TESTS, 
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES WOULD ENSUE AS SET OUT IN RESOLUTION 
1441. 

HAVING HELD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS OVER THE 
WEEKEND AND IN THE LAST FEW HOURS, WE HAVE HAD TO CONCLUDE 
THAT COUNCIL CONSENSUS WILL NOT BE POSSIBLE IN LINE WITH 
RESOLUTION 1441.  ONE COUNTRY IN PARTICULAR HAS UNDERLINED 
ITS INTENTION TO VETO ANY ULTIMATUM "NO MATTER WHAT THE 
CIRCUMSTANCES."  THAT COUNTRY REJECTED OUR PROPOSED 
COMPROMISE BEFORE EVEN THE IRAQI GOVERNMENT ITSELF AND HAS 
PUT FORWARD SUGGESTIONS THAT WOULD ROW BACK ON THE UNANIMOUS 
AGREEMENT OF THE COUNCIL IN 1441 - THOSE SUGGESTIONS WOULD 
AMOUNT TO NO ULTIMATUM/NO PRESSURE/NO DISARMAMENT; 
 
GIVEN THIS SITUATION, WE HAVE AGREED THAT WE WILL NOT PURSUE 
A VOTE ON THE DRAFT UK/U.S./SPANISH RESOLUTION IN BLUE; 
 
THE COMMUNIQUES AND PRESS STATEMENTS THAT WERE ISSUED AT THE 
AZORES SUMMIT EXPLAIN THE POSITION OF OUR GOVERNMENTS ON THE 
WAY FORWARD.  THE CO-SPONSORS RESERVE THEIR RIGHT TO TAKE 
THEIR OWN STEPS TO SECURE THE DISARMAMENT OF IRAQ. 
 
 
TRANSCRIPT OF AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE'S COMMENTS TO THE PRESS 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
3. (U) AMBASSADOR NEGROPONTE:  GOOD MORNING.  CAN YOU HEAR 
ME?  I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE ASSOCIATE OURSELVES FULLY 
WITH THE STATEMENT MADE BY AMBASSADOR GREENSTOCK. 
 
I WOULD JUST MAKE THE FURTHER POINT THAT IT HAS BEEN NEARLY 
FOUR AND HALF MONTHS SINCE THE COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED 
RESOLUTION 1441, WHICH FOUND IRAQ IN MATERIAL BREACH AND GAVE 
IT A FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO DISARM OR FACE SERIOUS 
CONSEQUENCES. 

THE GOVERNMENT OF IRAQ HAS CLEARLY FAILED TO COMPLY. OUR 
GOVERNMENTS BELIEVE THAT THROUGH ACTS OF OMISSION AND 
COMMISSION IRAQ IS NOW IN FURTHER MATERIAL BREACH. 
 
WE ADVOCATED A SECOND RESOLUTION BECAUSE A UNITED COUNCIL 
WOULD HAVE SHOWN IT WAS INTENT ON ENFORCING RESOLUTION 1441 
AND DISARMING IRAQ. WE BELIEVE THAT THE VOTE WOULD HAVE BEEN 
CLOSE. WE REGRET THAT IN THE FACE OF AN EXPLICIT THREAT TO 
VETO BY A PERMANENT MEMBER, THE VOTE COUNTING BECAME A 
SECONDARY CONSIDERATION.  THANK YOU. 
 
 
LAST OPPORTUNITY WAS SURRENDERED 
-------------------------------- 
 
4. (U) IN HIS COMMENTS TO THE PRESS, SPANISH PERMREP ARIAS 
STATED THAT UNSCR 1441 WAS QUITE CLEAR IN PARAGRAPH FOUR, 
WHICH ESTABLISHED IN AN UNEQUIVOCAL WAY THAT ANY FALSE 
STATEMENT OR OMISSION ON THE PART OF IRAQ WOULD CONSTITUTE A 
FURTHER MATERIAL BREACH. ARIAS ADDED THAT IRAQ HAD BEEN GIVEN 
ONE LAST OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLY, WHICH IT SURRENDERED. 
 
 
NEGROPONTE