Bush made up his mind to ignore peace, head for war

UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Ending diplomatic efforts to win backing for a war against Iraq, Britain, Spain and the United States Monday, March 17, withdrew their draft resolution seeking UN Security Council authority for military action.

The British ambassador to the United Nations, Jeremy Greenstock, told reporters that the sponsors had concluded that "Council consensus will not be possible," reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Flanked by the ambassadors of the United States and Spain, Greenstock said the co-sponsors reserved the right to take their own steps to secure the disarmament of Iraq.

Greenstock and U.S. counterpart, John Negroponte, clearly threw the blame on France. Without mentioning it by name, they both referred to "the explicit threat" by one Council member to veto the draft.

The announcement was made just before the Council went into consultations behind closed doors for what U.S. President George W. Bush said was its "moment of truth" on Iraq.

The 15 Council members and their aides met in a basement room because their regular consultation room was under renovation.

Diplomacy Is Over: U.S.

Peace vigils and anti-war rallies apparently failed to stop war

In Washington, the Whit House said that (Iraqi President) Saddam Hussein must leave Iraq and diplomacy is now over in attempts to disarm Iraq.

"To avoid a military conflict, Saddam Hussein has no other choice than to leave the country," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters.

"The diplomatic window is now closed," he said, confirming that the United States and its allies had withdrawn a new resolution on Iraq.

U.S. President George W Bush is due to address the American people at 2000 (0100 GMT).

The speech will not be an immediate declaration of war, but it will give Saddam Hussein only a few further hours to leave Iraq or face an attack, according to the BBC online news service.

Bush set a fresh deadline for the UN Security Council to sanction the use of force to disarm Iraq.

However, despite the renewed pressure, there are no signs so far that either France or Russia - which have both threatened to use their veto - intend to change tack.

Bush declared Monday would see what he termed the "moment of truth for the world", as he issued the deadline at a summit with the UK and Spanish Prime Ministers.

The departure of UN weapons inspectors is to be discussed at a closed meeting of the Security Council, which began in New York, and was also to tackle the now withdrawn resolution.

In other signs war may be too close to be averted, the UK government's most senior legal adviser claimed military action against Iraq is authorized under existing UN Security Council resolutions.

Also, UN observers monitoring Kuwait-Iraq border pull out.

U.S. forces in the Gulf now exceed 250,000 personnel and both U.S. and UK forces say they are ready for any military assault.

Sunday's meeting in the Azores of U.S., UK and Spanish leaders - which Iraq has branded a "summit of outlaws" - represented a final push to try to obtain enough support among Security Council members to make a vote on a new resolution worthwhile.

After weeks of diplomatic wrangling, they have only managed to win certain support on the 15-seat Security Council from Bulgaria whereas they need nine sympathetic votes.

At a news conference after Sunday's summit, President Bush made clear his frustration with France's threat to veto a second resolution.

"We have an expression in Texas that says, 'Show your cards'," he said.

"France has shown its card. Now we have to see tomorrow [Monday] what that card meant."

Majority Against Force In Iraq
   
The French ambassador to the United Nations said that the majority of the UN Security Council was opposed to the resolution put forth by the United States, Britain and Spain authorizing the use of force to disarm Iraq.

Jean Marc de la Sabliere told reporters that the resolution's sponsors "realized that the majority of the Council is against and opposed to the resolution."

"The majority of the Council confirmed that they do not want to authorize the use of force," he said.