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STATEMENT BY THE SPOKESPERSON
FRENCH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
March 7, 2003
Excerpts
Do you think things could be different depending on a change in time frame?
We have not set any dates. We do not see this in terms of a calendar—there is no date in Resolution 1441. Two things are important to us: first, the progress made by the international community in pursuit of its goal, which is—and this is not under dispute—the disarmament of Iraq. The second element guiding us in this process, which effectively constitutes a standing appointment, is the inspectors' reporting to the Security Council. We do not have any other time frame in this process.
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In your last memorandum, you proposed a 120-day period for disarming Iraq. Are you and your partners prepared to revise this deadline?
Our motivation in that instance was to improve the effectiveness of the inspections.
I don't doubt it, but is this time frame non-negotiable?
We never stated it was non-negotiable. Furthermore, this time period is stated in Resolution 1284. Finally, I would remind you that we re-used this time indication out of a concern to improve the effectiveness of inspections, with a calendar which was tightened program by program. For the time being, this memorandum was submitted a few days ago, and it is being considered by the members of the Security Council to whom we handed it. The inspectors to whom it was submitted are also studying the proposal. I ask you, therefore, to wait and see what Mr. Blix and Mr. El Baradei say this afternoon. You remember that last time, they responded to some of the proposals we had made. Let us see whether they react, and in what way, to the new ideas we put forth. Remember that last time, they took favorably our proposal to make airplanes available. We will see how they respond, especially in terms of a calendar, this afternoon. I believe Mr. El Baradei has already made a certain number of comments which were printed this morning in a major U.S. East Coast newspaper. Mr. Blix may also have things to say.
We made a proposal with a mind to reinforce inspections; let us wait and see today how the primary interested parties, in other words the heads of UNMOVIC and the IAEA, will react.
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Mr. Blair warned yesterday that a war would be just as legitimate in the event of an unreasonable veto. Can you comment?
No, I have no comment. To us, legitimacy is the Security Council. And to us, today, the Security Council is Resolution 1441.