Blair failed to persuade Chirac to join an attack on Iraq

PARIS, February 5 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – After a one-day summit, British Prime Minister’s attempt to “persuade” French President to join Britain in its insistence to attack Iraq failed with France’s determination that the moment for military force remained remote as there’s a lot to be done through peaceful means.

"War is always the worst of solutions. We think there is still a lot to be done on the issue of disarmament through peaceful means," French President Jacques Chirac said after talks in the northern French resort city of Le Touquet on Tuesday, February 4.

"What is essential is to allow the inspectors to carry on with their work," he added.

Asked after the talks if he is prepared to use France's veto to block a second UN resolution, he said France would fulfill its responsibilities “as it sees fit at the appropriate time and in the light of the circumstances at that time."

But Paris still has not ruled out using its veto at the UN, even though that would trigger a lasting crisis in its relations with Washington, BBC’s News service reported.

Some observers still believe Chirac will be talked into reluctant co-operation at the 11th hour - others argue that he may hold out, emboldened by public opposition to war, it added.

‘French troops May join’

The former French chief of staff said earlier in the day that his country could send from 10 to 12 thousand troops to provide security for the Iraqi oil wells in case of war, claiming that war is now inescapable as U.S. President George W. Bush already took his decision for war.

He expected the military action would take two weeks from earlier Marchat to reduce civilian losses on the Iraqi side.

On his part, British Prime Minister Tony Blair down played differences, as both sides agreed the necessity of disarming Iraq of its banned weapons, and that should be done through the United Nations.

"Of course there are the differences that are familiar to people but it is important to emphasize again the two common points that the president alluded to,” Blair said.

"[Those are] support for the notion of disarming Iraq of weapons of mass destruction and the belief that this is best pursued through the United Nations," he added.

Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had earlier voiced their opposition to a swift military offensive against Iraq, and vowed to add more dissent countries to the list.

Russia still also reluctant to U.S.-Anglo ambitions for war, leaving President George W. Bush’s efforts to muster support among fellow veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council thwarted.

Two weeks ago, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin threatened to wield France's veto at the security council against any early resolution authorizing force, and a few days later Chirac aligned French policy with that of Germany.

Bush spoke by telephone with Russia's President Vladimir Putin, but made little apparent progress. Putin urged continued UN weapons inspections and said their work was the "key" to determining future action on Iraq.

Earlier, Russia declared that it would "carefully examine" new U.S. evidence on Iraq's alleged arms program while stressing it had seen nothing to justify military strikes.

Blair and Bush are seeking advance support for the second UN resolution, the drafting of which could begin in 10 days, according to London's Financial Times newspaper.

“Futile”

But in his strongest terms, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw dismissed as "futile" demands by Chirac to give UN inspectors more time to seek out Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD).

"Calls to give the inspectors more time are futile as long as Saddam refuses to co-operate. We must not allow endless calls for more time to become a cop-out," wrote Straw in The Times on Wednesday.

Straw said the prospect of a peaceful outcome over Iraq was diminishing by the day.

This comes at the same day U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell is to present to the Security Council what he said would be "a straightforward, sober and compelling demonstration” that Baghdad is allegedly deceiving UN weapons inspectors and failing to disarm.

"As I am sure the Secretary of State Colin Powell's presentation will confirm today, his (Saddam's) preferred strategy remains, as ever, concealment, evasion, intimidation and deceit," Straw told The Times.

In an interview broadcast in Britain on Tuesday, Saddam said that Iraq had no connection with the al-Qaeda terrorist network held responsible for the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington.

‘Clear Snub’

As for Britain's press on Wednesday, it was widely believed that Chirac delivered a clear snub to Blair over Iraq during their annual bilateral summit.

"As expected, Tony Blair failed in Le Touquet yesterday to change France's attitude on going to war with Iraq," the Daily Telegraph said in an editorial.

"Leaders agree on everything (except for the troublesome key issues)," read The Independent's headline.

Britain's newspapers joined in too. "Non! Chirac rebuffs Blair on Iraq," read the front page of the Daily Mirror, the British daily fighting a campaign against war.

"Chirac has head in sand," headlined the editorial in the Daily Express, a right-wing tabloid.

Meanwhile the Britain's daily, The Sun tabloid, said Chirac would no doubt back war at the eleventh hour.

"In the end, Chirac will cave in over Iraq. He'll wring as much as he can out of Britain and America -- then decide it is in the international interest for France to be on the winning side," wrote The Sun's influential political editor Trevor Kavanagh.