U.S. Polling Security Council on Use of Force

The United States intends to go to the United Nations this month for authority to use force in the Persian Gulf if Secretary of State James A. Baker III gets favorable reactions from U.N. Security Council members in consultations over the next few days, a senior U.S. official traveling with Baker said Thursday.

The official’s comments, made on the condition he not be identified, went further than ever before in confirming the Bush Administration’s strategy to seek such a U.N. resolution in November, while the United States presides over the Security Council and before it goes to Congress for similar authority.

En route to Brussels from Washington, the senior official said congressional leaders have encouraged the Administration to follow this procedure--even though Congress would presumably find it more difficult to oppose military action after U.S. allies approved it.

All signs are that Baker and President Bush, after reviewing Baker’s recent trip to the gulf, concluded this week that a favorable U.N. resolution is within their grasp and decided to reach for it.

The official maintained that “no decision has been taken to go to the council and seek a resolution,” pending outcome of the coming consultations with most members of the council.

But he also said that if all agree to support the move, the United States will go for the resolution.

“If the responses were unfavorable, it would be sufficient for us to make a decision that perhaps we might not want to go forward,” he added somewhat equivocally.

The United States holds the presidency of the 15-member Security Council this month. Yemen--which has usually supported Iraq in the crisis--takes over the rotating post in December, followed by the nonaligned nations of Zaire and Zimbabwe.

Although the presidency has only limited powers over the council agenda, “there are lots of ways to get thoroughly wrapped around the axle at the United Nations,” the senior official said about potential bureaucratic and procedural delays that the Yemen presidency might pose.

“So, it’s important to try to do it (seek the resolution) during the period of our presidency of the council,” he added.

Of the permanent council members that Baker has already consulted, the Soviet Union and China reportedly have indicated they will not veto a resolution authorizing the use of military force, although they have not approved any specific language for a resolution. The two other members, Britain and France, have indicated they will approve such a resolution, according to officials.

Of the 10 rotating members, Canada indicated its approval of the U.S. course after Baker consulted with Foreign Minister Joe Clark in Bermuda on Tuesday.

Most of the other non-permanent members will be consulted by Baker this weekend.