The Security Council was presented with two plans this week on how to proceed with the disarmament of Iraq, with one calling for bulked up and continued inspections while the other would find that Iraq has failed to take the "final opportunity" afforded to it in resolution 1441.
As reported by the UN, the President of the 15-nation body, Ambassador Gunter Pleuger of Germany, said that the Council had received a "memorandum" from France, Germany and the Russian Federation calling for continued UN inspections, as well as a draft resolution co-sponsored by Spain, the United Kingdom and United States that referred to "serious consequences" mentioned in resolution 1441 if Baghdad did not comply. He said the Council will hold further consultations beginning 27 February on the two documents after delegations have had a chance to consult with their capitals.
Meanwhile, the College of Commissioners of the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) continues to meet. They are discussing the upcoming quarterly report, which its Executive Chairman, Hans Blix, is set to hand in to the Security Council on 1 March. The oral presentation of the report to the Council will take place early next week, although no date has yet been formally set.
The text introduced by the UK would decide that Iraq "has failed to take the final opportunity afforded to it in resolution 1441," which was adopted unanimously last November acknowledging that Iraq "has been and remains in material breach" of its disarmament obligations and gave the country a last chance to comply.
The document circulated by France notes that the conditions for using force against Iraq have not been fulfilled since, while suspicions remain, no evidence has been given that Iraq still possesses weapons of mass destruction. The text also stresses that the Council must step up its efforts to give a "real chance to the peaceful settlement of the crisis."
In Iraq, on-site inspections are continuing. As of 18 February, teams included 104 inspectors from UNMOVIC and the IAEA. Out of 104, 86 are from UNMOVIC and 18 from the IAEA. With the addition of newly trained inspectors, UNMOVIC has a roster of roughly 350 inspectors. The IAEA has a reservoir of nuclear inspectors within the Agency.