(Updates throughout)
By Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS, March 7 (Reuters) - Britain announced on Friday it was amending a U.S.-backed resolution authorizing war against Iraq to give President Saddam Hussein until March 17 to disarm or face the possibility of war, a proposal France immediately rejected,
With opposition against war with Iraq hardening, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw circulated the draft resolution giving the ultimatum, an indication the United States still did not have the minimum nine votes needed to adopt a resolution in the 15-member U.N. Security Council.
"I am asking the (U.N.) secretariat to circulate an amendment we are tabling which will specify a further period beyond the adoption of a resolution for Iraq to take the final opportunity to disarm and to bring themselves into compliance," Straw told the Security Council.
But even before Straw spoke, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, who has threatened to veto the entire resolution, told the council, "We cannot accept an ultimatum as long as inspectors are reporting cooperation.
He told reporters afterwards, "Behind his presentation there is the idea of an ultimatum, the 17th of March. This is the logic of war. We don't accept this logic," he said.
The March 17 date puts pressure on the council to adopt the resolution, which the United States and Britain intend to bring to a vote next week, as soon as possible.
The purpose of the extension is to gain support from undecided members of the 15-nation Security Council who have grave misgivings about voting for immediate warfare.
"To continue inspections with no firm date will (not) achieve complete disarmament unless Iraq's full and active cooperation is immediately forthcoming," Straw said.
The new draft says: "Iraq will have failed to take the final opportunity afforded by resolution 1441 unless on or before March 17, 2003, the Council concludes that Iraq has demonstrated full, unconditional, immediate and active cooperation with its disarmament obligations."
Resolution 1441, passed last November, set up inspections of Iraqi weapons sites and demanded that Iraq end all nuclear, chemical, biological and ballistic missile programs and threatened "serious consequences."
The new ultimatum said Iraq must hand over to U.N. inspectors all weapons, delivery systems and support systems and structures banned by the United Nations and provide information about the prior destruction of such items by March 17.
While some undecided nations have expressed interest in the British proposal, it was likely to be rebuffed by Russia, Germany and China as well as France.
When news of the amendment circulated on Thursday, Russia's U.N. ambassador Sergei Lavrov said: "First you say you start the war tomorrow, and then you say you start the war in ...days. Is that a compromise?"
A resolution needs nine votes and no veto from its five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China -- for adoption.
If the United States gets the minimum nine votes and France or Russia cast a veto, Washington could then say it had done its best to get international approval for war.
Aside from the sponsors of the resolution, only Bulgaria has openly backed an attack against Iraq, albeit with misgivings. ((Reporting by Evelyn Leopold, editing by Bette O'Connor; Reuters messaging: Evelyn.Leopold.reuters.com@reuters.net; 1-212-355-7424)
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Friday, 07 March 2003 14:17:13
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