WASHINGTON, 16 September — The Bush administration expressed renewed confidence yesterday that it could muster international support for a military strike against Iraq, saying it wanted to lay down a brisk timetable to push through new United Nations Security Council resolutions and present a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein.
With much of the Western world apparently bowing to the inevitable following President Bush’s strongly worded speech to the United Nations on Thursday, two key White House players said yesterday they were confident their campaign would receive widespread support.
Colin Powell, the Secretary of State, said he had spoken to dozens of world leaders since the president’s UN speech. "I got good responses from all the people I talked to," Powell told a television interviewer.
"We had a very good dialogue and I’m pleased with the initial reactions from friends and colleagues in Europe and elsewhere in the world." He said he hoped new UN resolutions could be passed in a matter of "weeks, not months".
His words were echoed by Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser, who nevertheless suggested that international support was a matter of heavy arm-twisting as much as willing compliance. "I fully expect the allies to support us...because the president made a compelling case on Thursday that Saddam Hussein is a threat on many fronts," she said. Among western European countries, the Bush administration has almost unqualified support from Britain and Italy. Even France, which has expressed considerable doubts about the wisdom of an Iraqi military adventure, appears to be bending to the sheer pressure of US power. (The Independent)
