QUESTION: Who will decide whether Iraq had breached the terms of the new resolution?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: The inspection process is the main instrument. The Council will want to hear from the inspectors and then if there is something that needs discussion in the Council that will be reported to the Council through the inspectors and there will be a meeting immediately.

QUESTION: Then there is no trigger language that allows the United States unilateral response if there is a breach. It has to go to the Council first?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: Let's just look at the sequence of the resolution. It starts by declaring that Iraq remains in material breach from its previous contraventions, but we're setting that material breach aside and setting up an enhanced programme of inspections which will then do the business of disarmament. If Iraq fails to comply with that then the material breach will be re-established, the inspectors will report and the Council will discuss what to do at that point.

QUESTION: So there is no way that any member of the Security Council, the United States for example, could immediately pounce upon that breach? It has to come in to the Council before any military action could ensue?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: It has to come to a meeting of the Council for consideration of the Council, yes.

QUESTION: What is there in that language then to prevent a member state taking unilateral action?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: That all members of the Council are committed to a two phase process and the second phase kicks in if the inspectors report a non-cooperation or non-compliance act by Iraq and then the Council will immediately meet that.

QUESTION: Because you see the, the White House is saying it's clear that the resolution will not handcuff the United States.

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: Well the United States clearly will feel that it will take its own decisions if the UN does not complete the disarmament of Iraq. But that's way in to the future after the inspection system has been set up.

QUESTION: This is in essence the French resolution and the Americans have agreed to it?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: Well I'm not characterising it as a French resolution or a Russian resolution. This is a US UK text which specifies two stages and decisions to be taken as members of the Council take them at the second stage.

QUESTION: And does it make war more or less likely?

SIR JEREMY GREENSTOCK: I think less likely because Iraq will see that the Council is taking a firm decision to do this the inspection route and another firm decision that if Iraq does not comply with that, that the Council will be ready to take its decisions on serious consequences. So that will be pressure on Iraq to take the peaceful route. The UK sincerely believes that this is the way to a peaceful resolution of this problem.