Toronto Star

February 24, 2003 Monday Ontario Edition

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. A22

LENGTH: 452 words

HEADLINE: Chretien treading a fine line on Iraq

BODY:

So, Prime Minister Jean Chretien wants to broker a last-minute deal to try to find a consensus at the United Nations over Iraq.This in an atmosphere where, less than a week ago, the New York Post altered a photograph of the members of the U.N. Security Council, removing the heads of the French and German representatives and replacing them with the heads of weasels.

It was a play on the "axis of weasels" description popular in the U.S. media as a means of describing Germany's and France's stance opposing a U.N. resolution supporting an attack on Iraq.

Canada's plan would see a proposal developed setting a new deadline for Iraq, requiring disarmament by the middle of April. If there was no movement by Iraq at that point, the plan would spell out in careful detail just how ugly things would get.

The idea is to bridge the gap between two very different positions - described loosely as "bomb now" and "inspect forever," by setting a deadline accompanied by a clearer threat to Iraq than is outlined in U.N. Resolution 1441, which threatens Iraq with "serious consequences," but did not spell out what those consequences might be.

It is a critical time for new options. After all, the U.S. is on a slow boil, perilously close to launching its own attack on Iraq and counting on countries like ours to stand up with it.

In the absence of options, President George W. Bush has made it clear that he intends to take some form of action, and that doing nothing is not an option he will consider for much longer.

Canada's plan comes at a time when Britain is already preparing an alternate resolution of its own, but one that would provide much less time than the two months Chretien's package offers.

Who knows where the plan might lead - it might be the kind of middle ground that the entire debate requires, or it may be seen as just another example of Canada's waffling on the world stage.

It might also be the kind of international solution that a politician finishing a lengthy term would seize as a crowning glory.

By all means, Chretien should do everything he can to find an acceptable compromise, but he should be aware that there are clear risks.

Given the mood in the United States, Chretien might want to be careful that his approach does not bring us into the same sort of disrepute the French and Germans currently enjoy in Americans' eyes.

Everything is so emotionally charged in the U.S. right now, it doesn't seem all that hard to end up with a weasel's face where your noggin should be.

And the line between winner and weasel seems perilously thin.

This is an edited excerpt from an editorial that appeared in the St. John's Telegram.

Worth Repeating

LOAD-DATE: February 24, 2003

The Canadian Press (CP)

February 20, 2003 Thursday

SECTION: FOREIGN GENERAL NEWS

LENGTH: 701 words

HEADLINE: Canada asks UN to set deadline for Iraq to show compliance in disarming

SOURCE: CP

BYLINE: BY J. TUYET NGUYEN

BODY:

UNITED NATIONS (CP) _ Canada urged the UN Security Council on Wednesday to set a deadline for Iraq to prove that it no longer has any biological, chemical or nuclear weapons.

"The world must have the answers to yet unanswered questions about the disposition of VX and mustard gas,'' Canadian Ambassador Paul Heinbecker said on the second of two days of UN debate reserved for governments that are not on the Security Council.

"We suggest that the Security Council direct the inspectors to lay out the list of key remaining disarmament tasks immediately and establish those on which Iraqi compliance is urgently required,'' he said.

An "early deadline'' should be established by the council to determine whether the Baghdad government has complied with UN resolutions ordering Iraq to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction, Heinbecker said.

The Globe and Mail reported that the Canadian envoy's proposal was part of an effort by Canada to broker a deal that would satisfy both the United States and other countries opposed to military action against Iraq.

Prime Minister Jean Chretien has been floating the proposal in recent days in a series of phone calls to government leaders in Germany, Russia, France and Mexico, which hold Security Council seats, as well as Italy and Australia, which have become key U.S. allies in the buildup to war, the Globe said.

It quoted sources saying that a deadline no later than mid-April for Iraq to comply was being considered as a way of pleasing both the U.S. administration and those countries, led by France and Germany, firmly opposed to military action.

"It is obvious to him (Chretien) that the UN is pretty damned divided and the consequences of this division, if it persists, is going to be very, very serious,'' a senior Canadian official told the Globe.

"The only way we can bridge this 'bomb now or inspect forever' mentality is to say, 'Let's pick a date far enough in the future so we will know if the Iraqis are following through,''' the official said.

The British ambassador to the UN called on Canada "to take a position,'' the National Post reported Thursday.

"I can't comment on where they should go _ that is for Canada to decide,'' Jeremy Greenstock said.

''But everyone has to start taking positions. Canada has to be counted on one side or the other. It is decision time,'' he said.

In Ottawa, Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham said Heinbecker's speech sets out Canada's position that a peaceful resolution is possible if Iraq is clearly told what it must do, "with clear timelines recognizing that it is the United States' presence there that is keeping Iraq's feet to the fire.''

"Everybody, including the French and others who are opposed to an immediate action, recognizes that if necessary the use of force will be there,'' Graham said.

"The discussion is what steps must be taken and in what timelines ... because we recognize we cannot continue to live like this in an interminable period of time.''

Otherwise, Canada's seven-minute speech echoed the key points made by other UN countries that are not among the 15 members of the Security Council. Most speakers for the more than 60 countries that took park appealed for a peaceful way out of the standoff, as U.S. war preparations were reaching a high pitch in the Persian Gulf.

"The government and people of Canada want a peaceful resolution to this crisis, and we believe that a peaceful solution remains possible,'' Heinbecker said.

The ambassador warned that war would have deep consequences on international peace and security, and on the standing of the United Nations itself.

He said a multilateral approach _ working through the United Nations _ is preferred over any unilateral moves on Iraq.

Heinbecker also reminded the Security Council that a war in Iraq would not be just about disarmament. He urged council members to keep the Iraqi people in "the heart of your deliberations.''

France has been leading a campaign to convince the Security Council to let diplomacy and inspection continue in Iraq. It called for more inspectors, more equipment and more reconnaissance to make inspection more effective.