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USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and its naval battle group is already in the Gulf
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LONDON
, November 9 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The British press
Saturday, November 9, described the new unanimously adopted U.N.
resolution on
Iraq
as a victory for U.S. President George W. Bush, noting that
U.S.
military buildup for a possible strike on
Iraq
was continuing.
"The
United Nations Security Council on Friday, November 8, delivered a
striking victory for the
U.S.
by voting unanimously to give
Iraq
one last chance to disarm -
or face the threat of war," said the Financial Times on Saturday,
November 9.
"The
surprising show of international unity sends an unequivocal message to
Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi president, leaving him without potential
allies if he defies it," it added.
"It
has also brought new life to the often-strained relationship between the
U.S.
and the United Nations,"
the paper quoted diplomats as saying.
"The
resolution reflects
France
's insistence on a two-step
process, in which the Security Council has a chance to determine whether
Iraq
has violated its
obligations," said the Financial Times.
"But
it does not force the
U.S.
to wait for a second Security
Council resolution before it sends its warplanes to
Iraq
," it added.
"The
resolution's text represents a compromise between
France
and
Russia
on one side and the
U.S.
and
UK
on the other," according
to the Financial Times.
"The
unanimous vote was a remarkable success for the
U.S.
and
Britain
, which negotiated intensely since mid-September when President Bush
told the U.N. it must deal with
Iraq
's violations or risk becoming "irrelevant"," said the
right-wing Daily Telegraph.
"The
resolution hints strongly at a military response if
Iraq
violates the conditions," it added.
"But
the compromise text fudges the question of who will decide whether
Iraq
is in 'material breach' of U.N. resolutions and whether the U.N. would
approve any war against
Iraq
," according to the paper.
Going
further, the Daily Telegraph said the resolution "gives the green
light to allied deployments to show Saddam Hussein that the words are
backed up by military threat."
It
said "force on mind" was "the military catchphrase for
the reasoning behind the deployments that are now likely to come."
The
adoption of the resolution "capped a fantastic week for Mr. Bush, a
Republican election sweep followed by his most important diplomatic
victory.
The
President without a mandate has been transformed into one of
unquestioned dominance," said the centre-left Independent.
"What
is remarkable is how little
Washington
has sacrificed. This is a triumph for American diplomacy, achieved
largely because of the unflinching determination of the Bush
Administration," it added.
According
to the paper, the new U.N. resolution "lays down a very tight
timetable."
"Pressure
was piled on Saddam Hussein, last night after the United Nations
Security Council unanimously voted to deliver an ultimatum to
Iraq
to accept the unconditional
return of weapons inspectors or face the prospect of war," reported
the Guardian.
"The
timetable is now fixed and the clock ticking: the Security Council could
face a decision on war in about 120 days or before that if the
inspectors face any obstruction by Iraq," it added.
"The
resolution was fudged in order to secure the necessary backing of
France
,
Russia
and
China
, but the ambiguities could
result in trouble when the Security Council meets at a later stage to
discuss possible military action," said the paper.
"Although
Washington ceded important ground, thanks largely to the mediating
efforts of the U.S. Secretary of State, Colin Powell, it remains unbound
by the outcome of further Security Council discussions, and will not
need a new resolution to wage war," stressed the Guardian.
It
quoted military analysts as saying that "even as the U.N. weapons
inspectors pack their bags for a daunting and uncertain trip to Iraq
later this month, the Pentagon is steadily building up its forces in the
region and is expected to be ready for battle by as early as next
month."
"
Britain
is poised to announce the
mobilization of thousands of troops and reservists, probably to coincide
with the seven-day deadline for
Baghdad
to declare its intention to
comply with the UN resolution," said the Guardian.
"British
military commanders have drawn up plans for a ground force of up to
15,000 troops. Naval and air support would increase this to about
20,000," it added.
"The
USS Lincoln aircraft carrier and its naval battle group is in the Gulf,
and the USS Washington is in the
Mediterranean
. The USS
Constellation battle group, with 75 aircraft and 8,000 sailors, left San
Diego earlier this month, four months ahead of schedule, bound for the
North Arabian sea," according to the Guardian.
"On
the other side of the country, the USS Vinson aircraft carrier is being
prepared for departure from its base in
Washington
state some time
in December," it added.
"In
San Diego
the USS Nimitz
is also due for deployment, and the carrier based in
Japan
, the USS Kitty
Hawk, has left harbor for exercises at an undisclosed location,"
said the Guardian.
It
concluded that the "Pentagon would then have up to seven aircraft
carriers at hand for an offensive by January."
"The
headquarters of two of the army and marine units likely to play a
leading role in an Iraqi conflict have been ordered from their bases in
the U.S. and Germany to Kuwait, where there are already more than 10,000
troops," said the newspaper.
"The
total number of
U.S.
troops in the
Gulf region is thought to be as high as 50,000. Huge amounts of armor
and heavy equipment from stockpiles in the
US
and
Germany
are bound for
the Gulf to add to the supplies already in the region or floating on
military transport ships off Diego Garcia in the
Indian ocean
," it
added.
According
to the Guardian, "B1 heavy bombers have been sighted in
Oman
,
and preparations are being made to deploy B2s, the batwing stealth
bombers most likely to strike the first blow in any possible conflict,
at Diego Garcia and at the Fairford RAF base in Gloucestershire."
