UNITED NATIONS (AP) – Key members of the UN Security Council said Wednesday the United States has so far failed to persuade them that time has run out for a peaceful resolution to the crisis with Iraq.
At a crucial council meeting a day after President George W. Bush’s state of the union speech, 11 of the 15 members supported giving more time to weapons inspectors to pursue Iraq’s peaceful disarmament, council diplomats said. Calling for continued inspections were France, Russia and China, which all have veto power, as well as Germany, Mexico, Chile, Guinea, Cameroon, Syria, Angola and Pakistan. Only Bulgaria and Spain backed the United States and Britain in focusing on Iraq’s failures, rather than the inspections process.