FRENCH MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

September 16, 2002

Excerpts

Q - (Did the three French legislators who went to Iraq take a message from the French authorities, and if so from whom?)

You may remember what I said yesterday: This is a personal initiative by some French legislators which does not have the assent of the French authorities. Furthermore, we have made known to those involved the inopportune nature, in the present context, of their visit. I leave you to deduce the answer to your questions from that comment.

Q - (Under the existing U.N. resolutions (for example 687 and 688) is there authorization under Chapter 7 to use force in the event of non-compliance with those resolutions without needing a new Security Council resolution?)

At this point, we observe that Iraq has not implemented the Security Council resolutions regarding the urgent return of U.N. disarmament inspectors. In the circumstances, as President Chirac has said, we believe it is necessary to draft a new Security Council resolution that would enjoin Iraq to agree to the inspectors' return. If the country persists in not complying with its obligations, the Security Council should then, in our view, take up the matter again to consider what measures to take.