MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile proposes alternative for Security Council resolution

Chile, a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council and considered a key swing vote, proposed on Friday an alternative draft resolution on Iraq containing five points intended to achieve Baghdad's disarmament and a time-frame of three weeks

The proposal was announced by President Ricardo Lagos, whose government said Thursday night it would not support a draft resolution sponsored by the United States, Britain and Spain designed to clear the way for war against Iraq in a matter of days.

Lagos said his nation's proposal is an effort to promote Security Council unity and avoid war. He also said it is supported by other members of the council. Responding to the Chilean proposal, the White House flatly refused to give Iraq another three weeks. White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said the chances of the Chilean proposal prospering were virtually nil.

Lagos stressed that Chile "opted for supporting the position of the United Nations, based en ensuring Iraqi disarmament through a reasonable and verifiable demands." In this context, he said that the demands that the new proposal imposes on the Saddam Hussein regime are: 1) make available to the United Nations some 30 scientists for interviews outside Iraq; 2) account for its reported stores of mustard gas; 3) account for its anthrax or provide documentation of its destruction; 4) destroy all Al Samud II missiles and their components; 5) provide information on "drone" planes and evidence that they cannot carry chemical weapons.

If Iraq does not fulfil these conditions, Lagos said, "it will have to bear the consequences" established by resolution 1441, including the use of force. The president added that he had already conveyed the proposal to British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

"It is an offer we are making based on a series of recent informal meetings. Let us hope that it will be viable and that it is supported by as many countries as possible," Lagos said.

The president emphasized that peace is still possible if "verifiable goals and prudent deadlines" are set, which in his opinion, would be achieved by the new proposal.

The three-week deadline, he explained, "allows us to verify compliance with these terms, which do not imply the complete disarmament of Iraq," but evidence of its willingness to accept them. It will be up to the inspectors to ensure that the disarmament process continues, he concluded.