Powell on UN charm offensive

2003-09-12 12:06

Washington - President George W Bush said on Thursday that United Nations members, even those that opposed the Iraq war, are obliged to help rebuild Iraq, while French President Jacques Chirac said his country would not do so soon.

"A free Iraq will be in their nations' benefit. It will make the world more peaceful and more secure," Bush told reporters as he wrapped up a two-year commemoration of the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Bush said Secretary of State Colin Powell would embark on a weekend European trip to promote a new, US-backed UN resolution aimed at winning more global support for Iraq reconstruction.

Powell was to meet in Geneva on Saturday with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the foreign ministers of France, Britain, China and Russia, who, with the United States, make up the permanent members of the UN Security council.

'An obligation'

"The key thing for the United Nations resolution is that it will hopefully encourage other nations to participate. And I think other nations have an obligation to participate," said the president.

Chirac made his remarks as he met with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar in Spain in an attempt to bridge differences over the war, which had split their two countries and the rest of Europe.

"Today we are a long way from being in a situation where France could participate militarily in Iraq," Chirac said.

Aznar said clear initiatives were now required to guarantee "security and stability in Iraq."

"There is no point going on about the past. Our positions are well known," said Aznar. The international community must "push for a wider consensus," he said.

Anti-US violence meanwhile escalated in Iraq, with a 90-minute firefight west of the flashpoint town of Fallujah.

Several US troops were wounded after a convoy broke down. At least three other soldiers were hurt elsewhere in the latest upsurge of resistance.

Sixty-eight US soldiers have been killed in attacks blamed on forces loyal to ousted president Saddam Hussein since Bush declared the end of major combat operations on May 1. Another 80 have died in accidents or non-combat incidents.

'This is all about September 11'

"This is all about September 11 and there are a lot of terrorists in this country and we're making it difficult for them and in the long run this will make a difference," specialist Jerry Dillon said at Baghdad Airport.

But other soldiers at a dawn memorial service organised by the 8 000 members of the 1st Armoured Division were not convinced they were doing much good since Saddam was ousted in April.

I'd like to be home'

"Right now I'd like to be home," said Sergeant Brian Sparks, standing guard outside the airport gates. "These people are not terrorists, so where's the significance about being here?"

Gunfire resounded for more than an hour in the town of Khaldiyah, 30km west of Fallujah, after masked gunmen attacked the stalled US convoy with rockets.

There were reports of injuries but the US military said it had no immediate confirmation of the incident near Fallujah, a Sunni Muslim bastion 50km west of Baghdad.

Three US soldiers were wounded in attacks in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and near Fallujah.

Two were hurt when two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) slammed into a hotel in Mosul, and the third was wounded as his military vehicle drove over an explosive device on the highway linking Baghdad and Fallujah.

A videotape said to be of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden appeared on Arabic satellite television Al-Jazeera on the eve of the September 11 commemoration vowing more strikes against US "crusaders."

Bin Laden and top aide Ayman al-Zawahiri appeared in taped footage that showed them in an "undetermined mountain area."

An off-camera voice, purportedly Bin Laden's, said: "He who wants to learn loyalty, sincerity, magnanimity and courage in support of religion ... should follow in the footsteps of Said al-Ghamdi, Mohammad Atta, Khaled al-Mihdar, Ziad al-Jarrah and their brethren, God rest their souls," referring to the September 11 hijackers.

Change of policy

In France, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin warned that the United States needs to undertake an urgent and radical change of policy towards Iraq or risk a descent into even greater violence in the months ahead.

De Villepin criticised US policy for being dominated by security concerns, but insisted relations between Paris and Washington would emerge strengthened by the trial of the past year.

"Our friendship can only be reinforced by the fact that we French had the courage of our convictions," he said.

At the United Nations, France, Germany and Russia proposed limiting the US political role in Iraq in exchange for their support of Washington's request for international help.

A joint French-German proposal, and a separate Russian one, were given to the United States ahead of Saturday's meeting in Geneva.

Chinese support

China on Thursday rallied behind France, Germany and Russia.

"We are making a conscientious study of the US proposed resolution," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Kong Quan.

"As to the proposals of the French, Russian and German parties, we support them."

It was unclear if the United States would accept the measures, which would largely hand supervision of the emerging political process to the United Nations while US commanders would maintain military and security control.

Iraq's provisional governing council would support a greater UN role, council member Adnan Pachachi said, without taking sides in the tussle between the United States on one side, and France, Russia and China on the other.

"The governing council would like that Iraq take charge of its own affairs as soon as possible and any resolution that will advance this and make it happen sooner or later would be endorsed by the council," Pachachi said.

- AFP