IRAQ - March 7 - Blix Delivers Report To UN Security Council.

Chief UN weapons inspector Hans Blix delivers his report to the UN Security Council, saying: "One can hardly avoid the impression that after a period of somewhat reluctant co-operation, there has been an acceleration of initiatives from the Iraqi side since the end of January. This is welcome. But the value of these measures must be soberly judged. How many question marks they actually succeed in straightening out is not yet clear". Blix highlights Baghdad's destruction so far of 34 of its long-range Al Samoud-2 missiles, which the UN determined to have a range exceeding stipulated limits, describing this as "a substantial measure of disarmament". He says: "We are not watching tooth-picks being broken; lethal weapons are being destroyed". But Blix says that while Baghdad's current efforts could be seen as "active, even pro-active", its record over the three months of inspections could not be said to constitute the immediate co-operation required by UN resolution 1441. He says: "It is obvious that while the numerous initiatives which are now taken by the Iraqi side with a view to resolving some long-standing, open disarmament issues can be seen as active or even proactive, these initiatives three to four months into the new resolution cannot be said to constitute immediate co-operation. Nor do they necessarily cover all areas of relevance".

In conclusion, Blix says: "While co-operation can and is to be immediate, disarmament, and at any rate verification of it, cannot be instant. Even with a pro-active Iraqi attitude induced by continued outside pressure, it will still take some time to verify sites and items, analyse documents, interview relevant persons and draw conclusions. It will not take years, nor weeks, but months". Later, US State Secretary Colin Powell called on the Security Council to acknowledge that Baghdad has not met its obligations to disarm, and to be prepared to endorse the use of force if necessary against Saddam. He said: "The intent of the Iraqi regime to keep from handing over all weapons of mass destruction has not, it seems to me, changed". Powell called on the Security Council to consider a further UN resolution on Iraq in the near future, saying that its failure to act would compromise its authority. He said: "Now is the time for the council to tell Saddam that the clock has not been stopped by his stratagems and his machinations. The clock continues to tick, and the consequence of Saddam Hussein's continued refusal to disarm will be very real". British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said the progress cited by the weapons inspectors had only been achieved because of the "credible threat of force" represented by US and British troops deployed in the Gulf, rather than by diplomatic pressure. He said London, backed by Washington and Madrid, was introducing a proposal to the council for a new resolution that would give Saddam a further period to meet the UN disarmament demands, while setting a firm deadline for his compliance. But the foreign ministers of France, Russia and China - the other permanent members of the Security Council with the right of veto - called on the inspectors to be given more time. French FM Dominique de Villepin made an impassioned appeal for the council to seek to disarm Baghdad peacefully, rather than through the use of force. He also said Paris would use its powers to block any new resolution that set a deadline for Baghdad that could act as an automatic trigger for war - something which Britain, the US and Spain have reportedly been seeking. De Villepin said: "To those who believe that war would be the quickest way of disarming Iraq I can say it will drive a wedge and create wounds that will take a long time to heal".