VARIOUS: 'SWING VOTE' COUNTRIES URGED TO DECLARE WHERE THEY STAND ON WAR AGAINST IRAQ.

Record ID: 645711

  • Title: VARIOUS: 'SWING VOTE' COUNTRIES URGED TO DECLARE WHERE THEY STAND ON WAR AGAINST IRAQ.
  • Date: 7th March 2003
  • Summary: (W5) SANTIAGO, CHILE (RECENT) (REUTERS) GV: NAKED ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATOR IN FRONT OF LA MONEDA PALACE GV: POLICE OFFICERS SHOOTING WATER AT PROTESTERS GV: NAKED ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATOR IS DETAINED BY POLICE
  • Embargoed: 22nd March 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / SANTIAGO, CHILE / CONAKRY, GUINEA / YAOUNDE, CAMEROON
  • City:
  • Country: Cameroon Guinea Mexico Chile
  • Topics: General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA9PN51NQNSXQH0OMP2ZBCIMISI
  • Story Text: As a second United Nations (U.N.) Security Council resolution on Iraq approaches, a handful of countries considered 'swing votes' on the world body are being pressured from both sides to declare where they stand on the question of war.
    Mexico, Chile, Cameroon, and Guinea are four countries on the Security Council yet to decide their position on a second resolution and their support for the United States (U.S.) administration's apparent march to war is by no means certain.
    Mexico, a key trading partner of the U.S., has said it is working with its ally for "unconditional disarmament" of Iraq and has appeared to warm in recent days to a new resolution.
    Yet Mexico has also expressed support for more conservative plans voiced by Canada, prompting some confusion about its official stance.
    Mexican President Vicente Fox on Sunday (March 2) said he was working with other leaders - but particularly with U.S.
    President George W. Bush - to find a way to disarm Iraq as a means to achieving peace.
    Mexico has appeared to come close to backing a new U.S.
    draft resolution, after weeks of strong opposition, although it has also expressed support for more conservative plans aired by Canada, confusing observers about its official stance.
    But according to Jorge Chabat, a professor in the Division of International Studies from the Center of Economic Research and Teaching, Mexico does not necessarily have to fall in line with the U.S.
    "The United States is the primary trade associate of Mexico, Mexico is the secondary trade associate of the United States. Obviously, there is a large community of interest, but this does not automatically signify that they are going to have the same positions in the international arena, and that is causing this discussion," he said.
    Fox has been criticised in the media in recent weeks for failing to have a definitive stance on the U.S.-Iraq question.
    A poll published in Mexico's leading Reforma newspaper last Saturday (March 1) showed he has lost some of his credibility in the eyes of Mexican voters.
    Although anti-war sentiment has been running high in Chile, President Ricardo Lagos may still consider supporting the U.S.'s plan for war against Iraq.
    United States special envoy to Latin America Otto Reich (AH-toh riesh) met with Chilean President Ricardo Lagos (ree-CAR-doh LAH-gohs) in late February to persuade the South American country to back a new U.N. resolution paving the way for war.
    Lagos declined to talk extensively about his meeting with Reich, but did express concern about some of the Security Council's larger member abstaining from the vote.
    "We want everyone (referring to the five permanent members of the Security Council) to declare themselves here (on the subject of Iraq) and not what is happening that some of the bigger countries (the five permanent members of the Security Council) are going to abstain, they're not going to veto and then it's we (the non-permanent members of the Security Council) who have to make the decision," said Lagos.
    "And, if that's the case, we're going to make it in accordance to what we think is best for the world - and that's what I told the U.S. representative."
    A war with Iraq is largely unpopular in Chile. Protesters marched down the streets in front of the Palace of the Foreign Ministry, decrying military action and calling for peace.
    Chile has strong commercial ties with the U.S., but has so far insisted on disarming Iraq peacefully, according to University of Essex political scientist Doctor Ricardo Israel.
    "Chile has close relations (with the U.S.) since it could turn into the sixth country with free market relations with the U.S. and also the U.S. is willing to sell Chile weapons that it sells few countries like the F-16," said Israel.
    "So, in this (political) pressure game, Chile has been very, very ambivalent, but my impression is that, sooner or later, it will support the United States."
    Guinea, which holds the presidency of the U.N. Security Council this month, said on Monday (March 3) it was yet to decide how to vote.
    The Muslim West African country of some eight million, which sits on the U.N. council as a temporary member, is being actively courted by Washington and Paris - both key allies of one of the world's poorest and most isolated nations - as they strive to muster support for their respective camps, but has so far kept its cards close its to chest.
    Guinea's foreign minister, Francois Fall, said on Monday that Guinea supported U.N. objectives in Iraq and wanted force to be used only as a last resort.
    He said: "We hope that all the ways are used and all the means are given to the (U.N.) inspectors, so that they can totally fulfil their mandate and that the resort to force, which is moreover in conformity with the U.N. charter, the resort to force will just be a last resort."
    France, the former colonial power in Guinea, would rather avoid having to use its veto to block a U.S.-sponsored resolution clearing the way for war.
    France is Guinea's biggest bilateral donor, but Washington has given President Conte substantial military support. The U.S. sees Guinea as a buttress against the violent instability of its neighbours Sierra Leone and Liberia and, more recently, Ivory Coast.
    Cameroon's leader leader President Paul Biya was telephoned by U.S. President Bush on Wednesday (March 5) to press its case for war. Cameroon is one of three African non-permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
    On the streets of Cameroon's capital Yauonde, people were sceptical about supporting war with Iraq. One man said:
    "The Americans hold most of the weapons and nobody could ever ask them to destroy them. To make Iraq disarm when it has not attacked anyone would be unfair."
    A female dissenter added: "We want a world in peace. (The Americans) say they want to bring peace, but you don't bring peace with weapons."
    The Security Council will vote on the U.S./Britain-backed resolution in mid-March.
    To pass the resolution, there must be support from nine of the 15 UN Security Council members and no veto from any of its five permanent members: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
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