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Full U.N. Council Discusses U.S. Iraq Draft
Wednesday, October 23, 2002
(6:27 PM ET)
By William M. Reilly
UPI International Desk

The resolution seeks to set tough new rules for Iraq to follow in the return of inspectors for the first time in four years and reiterate that not abiding by the rules would result in consequences.

UNITED NATIONS -- UPI
The United States, following three days of talks with the other four veto-holding permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, presented a draft resolution on Iraq in closed-door consultations Wednesday to the 10 elected members of the panel.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Negroponte, has been holding a series of meetings with the other four of the permanent five, veto-wielding members of the council since first handing them copies of the draft Monday.

After the earlier meeting, held for three hours at the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, Negroponte told reporters the purpose of the late afternoon session in the Security Council consultation room was "for a discussion of the status of our talks within the P5."

When asked if that meant an end to the P5 discussions, he replied, "This is a work in progress it's an ongoing discussion. It's going to keep on going, I think, with a commitment to try and reach for a consensus between the five, if it is possible to do that, and yes I would anticipate that these talks will continue. They certainly are not near conclusion at this point."

Washington's envoy said he would be "reluctant" to forecast when a vote could be taken.

Negroponte offered a counter to a "hurry up" message from the White House earlier in the day when asked if a "quick vote" was sought.

"I would remind you that the tabling of a text with the five just happened this past Monday so we're talking about is that in an issue as complex and as complicated as this one it's not unusual for discussions to take a while," he said. "But I'd hate to put a time frame on it."

He also declined to discuss progress.
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