United Nations Debates Iraq

These are excerpts from the first day of a two-day U.N. Security Council debate on Iraq. Council members, including the United States, will speak last.

U.N. Secretary-General

Kofi Annan

(in a statement read by Deputy Secretary-General Louise Frechette)

“Iraq has to comply. It must implement the disarmament program required by our resolutions.... The inspectors must have unfettered access. The council will expect nothing less. It may well choose to pass a new resolution strengthening the inspectors’ hand, so that there are no weaknesses or ambiguities. I consider such a step would be appropriate.... If Iraq fails to make use of this last chance, and defiance continues, the council will have to face its responsibilities.”

Iraqi Ambassador

Mohammed Douri

“In fact, there is absolutely no need for a new resolution to be adopted in the Security Council. The attempts of the United States of America to hamper and delay the return of the inspectors, and their attempt to make the Security Council adopt a new resolution establishing conditions which are impossible to respect, aims at establishing a pretext to cover aggression against Iraq with the purpose of colonizing our country.”

Kuwaiti Ambassador

Mohammad Abulhasan

“Unilateral actions taken as a result of being in a position of power could down the road prove to be as ineffective as reluctance to pitch in as a result of weakness.... Any use of force must be a last resort and within the United Nations framework and only after all other available means have been exhausted.”

South African Ambassador

Dumisani Kumalo

(Speaking on behalf of nonaligned nations)

“It would be inconsistent with the spirit and letter of the United Nations Charter if the Security Council were to authorize the use of military force against Iraq at a time when Iraq has indicated its willingness to abide by the Security Council’s resolution.”

Australian Ambassador

John Dauth

“The members of the Security Council have a profound responsibility to ensure that the international community’s recent pressure on Iraq does not go to waste. We urge them to pass a new and robust Security Council resolution which provides the strongest possible basis for unconditional and unfettered inspections of Iraq.”

Tunisian Ambassador

Noureddine Mejdoub

“I say this war is useless because its motives are not well founded.... This war is useless because U.N. inspectors have been expected in Baghdad since Sept. 17 to accomplish their mission.... Yes, this war would be more harmful yet because it would unleash a chain of reactions and counter-reactions in Iraq and in the region.... The conflict would give extremists a pretext for expanding war even further.”

United Arab Emirates

Ambassador Abdulaziz Shamsi

The United Arab Emirates is “profoundly concerned about the danger of escalation leading to war in the region.” A military strike could cause “the total destruction of the people of Iraq, as well as the Gulf and the entire region.”