U.S. Gains Momentum in Efforts to Rally Allies Against Iraq

Strategic Insights -

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright secured crucial support from French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine on Thursday, paving the way for the possibility of military action against Iraq. Vedrine declared that "all options are open" if Iraqi President Saddam Hussein fails to grant unrestricted access to U.N. arms inspectors, a significant shift from France's previous stance. The development, combined with Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov's pessimistic assessment of a diplomatic solution, has given the U.S. a boost in its efforts to rally allies behind the possibility of military strikes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. has secured qualified endorsement from France for the use of military force against Iraq, with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine stating that "all options are open" if Iraq fails to comply with U.N. inspections.
  • Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov doubts the possibility of a diplomatic solution, stating that he doubted whether Russian diplomacy "will manage to do anything in Iraq."
  • U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright emphasized that the U.S. has "all but exhausted the diplomatic options," with a growing need for fundamental decisions.
  • President Bill Clinton warned that the United States is determined to deny Iraq nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles capable of delivering them.
  • Clinton has spoken with various world leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, to build international support against Iraq.
  • The French foreign minister's comments marked a significant shift from their previous stance, with French officials arguing that untimely end to the U.N. inspections program would be a grave loss to efforts to eliminate Iraq's weapons program.
  • U.S. officials acknowledge the risk of an untimely end to inspections but argue that they have neared a point of worthlessness due to the numerous instances of Iraq refusing access for inspections.

Statistics:

  • The U.N. inspection teams resume their work in Iraq after being granted access by Saddam in November.
  • Clinton has spoken with the following world leaders to build international support against Iraq:

+ Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien

+ German Chancellor Helmut Kohl

+ British Prime Minister Tony Blair

  • 2 months have passed since France expressed opposition to U.S. airstrikes against Iraq.
  • The U.S. is determined to deny Iraq nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the missiles capable of delivering them.

Sources:

  • Reuters (Madeleine Albright's joint news conference with Hubert Vedrine)
  • Agence France-Presse (Hubert Vedrine's statements regarding Saddam Hussein)
  • The New York Times (Primakov's pessimistic assessment of a diplomatic solution)
  • CNN (Clinton's speech at the National Defense University)
  • Interfax (Primakov's doubts regarding Russian diplomacy in Iraq)
  • The White House (Clinton's conversations with world leaders)