Frantic diplomatic talks were continuing at the UN today, with Britain and the US making a final push to win backing for a second security council resolution on Iraq, as the leading proponents of war planned a three-way summit to discuss their position.
Sources at the UN last night said talks would probably continue through the weekend after the US president, George Bush, said he was willing to give diplomacy a few more days to work.
But at the same time, the US, Britain and Spain — co-sponsors of the draft second resolution — were planning a three-way summit over the weekend between Bush, Tony Blair and Spanish premier Jose Maria Aznar, to take place in a neutral country.
The trio are expected to discuss the final negotiations over their draft resolution at the UN, and to fine-tune their military plans.
In what appears to be the last hope for winning UN support for military action, Britain, the US and Spain could put their resolution to a vote on Monday. But both London and Washington are reserving the right not to take a vote on the draft resolution if it seems there is no hope of the measure being passed.
Britain and the US have acknowledged that it may not be worthwhile taking a vote, with Russia and particularly France threatening to veto the move.
However, there were signs last night that some of the six smaller countries who hold the swing votes for a majority on the security council were growing more sympathetic to a new resolution, following Britain’s proposals this week to compromise on the text.
Reports said Britain had dropped all ultimatums and specific dates from the draft resolution in a bid to win over the six swing countries — Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan.
The conditions originally attached to the British plan included a stipulation that the Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, declare on television that he will give up his hidden weapons of mass destruction — but the UK has offered to drop this.
Even France began to appear more friendly towards the Anglo-American alliance after days of distinctly undiplomatic exchanges across the channel culminated in Downing Street branding the French position ”poisonous”.
The British foreign secretary, Jack Straw, received a telephone call from his French counterpart, Dominique de Villepin, who stressed he wanted to work to resolve the crisis and preserve the unity of the UN.
Signs grow of imminent action
However, with the US increasingly frustrated by the diplomatic delays and France pledging to use its security council veto power over any resolution containing an ultimatum that could lead to military action, all the signs are that diplomacy is futile.
Germany today repeated its opposition to conflict, with Chancellor Gerhard Schröder telling the Bundestag: ”We must have the courage to fight for peace as long as there is a scrap of hope that a war can be avoided.”
Yesterday the Queen cancelled a visit to Belgium, originally scheduled for next week, reinforcing speculation that war could begin around Wednesday March 19, once the manoeuvring at the UN is over.
The US secretary of state, Colin Powell, indicated last night that war could be imminent.
”The day of reckoning is fast approaching,” he warned.
US pins war plan hopes on new Turkish leader
This weekend, Turkey’s parliament will meet in an emergency session to endorse the country’s new prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The US is likely to urge the new Turkish premier to use the occasion to try to persuade politicians to give American troops access to the country, which borders northern Iraq, in a deployment that is crucial for its war plans.
To the frustration of the US, a previous deal that would have given the US access to Turkish military bases, in exchange for billions of dollars, was thrown out by Turkish MPs.
Blair faces political crisis
Should war begin next week without UN backing, the prime minister will face cabinet resignations from international development secretary Clare Short and possibly the leader of the Commons, Robin Cook, as well as a string of junior ministers and ministerial aides.
Blair has also been threatened with a possible leadership challenge if he goes ahead with a war that lacks the explicit endorsement of the UN.
In a reflection of continuing unease within Labour’s own ranks, leading rebel MP Alice Mahon today repeated her call for the government to publish the advice it had received on the legality of war without a fresh UN resolution.
”These are extremely special circumstances. It is clear the country is split down the middle about whether we should go to war,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
”I just think we have a right to know before we commit our servicemen and women into what could be an illegal war.”
Shadow attorney general Bill Cash said he had put down a parliamentary question on the issue.
”It is a question to the prime minister. I put it down on Tuesday and it asks whether the prime minister will disclose the legal basis on which military action in Iraq would be justified,” Cash told Today.
”It is certainly true to say it is not normal for the attorney general’s advice to be made available … But there are special circumstances and, indeed, there are quite a lot of precedents.”
Cash said there had been rumours that the attorney general, Lord Goldsmith, disagreed with the government over the legality of military action.
”If the attorney general did not agree with the prime minister, we would be in a very serious constitutional crisis,” he said.
Arrests at US bomber base
Two people were arrested after vehicles were damaged in a break-in at a British airbase where US B-52 bombers are stationed, the Ministry of Defence confirmed today.
A spokesman for the MoD said two people were arrested at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire last night. He said that damage was found on military vehicles following the arrests, but that no one had got near any planes at the base, where 14 US B-52 long-range bombers arrived last week.
A spokeswoman for Gloucestershire police said a 54-year-old woman from Bristol and a 57-year-old man from Birmingham were being held at Stroud police station.
A steady stream of peace protesters have arrived at the base since the planes touched down and a number of people have been arrested for breaking through security.
The B-52 aircraft, which can carry a payload of up to 30 tonnes including cruise missiles, are expected to be at the forefront of any attack on Iraq.
Blix continues with caution
Meanwhile, the chief UN weapons inspector, Hans Blix, is still insisting he has found no ”smoking gun”, despite the emergence of an undeclared Iraqi drone aircraft.
Dr Blix has said the inspections process needs to run for ”months” more before its success or failure can be assessed. But there is little chance he will be given that time. – Guardian Unlimited Â