France says it could participate in war

10.20am

PARIS - France has said it could help a US-led military coalition if Iraq used biological or chemical weapons, despite blasting Washington's war ultimatum to Baghdad as unjustified.


The Foreign Ministry said in a short statement on Tuesday (Wednesday NZT) there was no change in France's anti-war stance, but added:


"In the event that American forces or those allied to them should face a new situation such as a chemical or biological attack, France would assess the measures of assistance to take in a spirit of friendship and solidarity."


Earlier, President Jacques Chirac made no mention of such an option in a televised address. He denounced Washington's war ultimatum to Iraq as unjustified and warned it put world stability and the future of the Middle East at stake.


Chirac, the strongest anti-war voice in the West, insisted world opinion was against war and argued the United States' unilateral approach could exacerbate future crises.


"Whether it concerns the necessary disarmament of Iraq or the desirable change of the regime in this country, there is no justification for a unilateral decision to resort to force," Chirac said in a short address.


"No matter how events evolve now, this ultimatum challenges our view of international relations. It puts the future of a people, the future of a region and world stability at stake," he said in his first reaction to Bush's ultimatum.


The Foreign Ministry statement came after France's ambassador to the United States, Jean-David Levitte, earlier told CNN the use of chemical and biological weapons by Iraq would "change the situation completely and immediately for the French government."


Levitte said a decision on any French participation in the war would be made by Chirac in such an event.


"We have equipment to fight in these circumstances," he said, not giving details on any possible French role.


Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin joined Chirac's salvo against pending military action, stressing that while Paris remained a staunch US ally it viewed war as the wrong response to the Sept. 11 attacks and the global fight against terror.


"For us, this war is not the right response to the attacks of September 11, over which we shared the sense of repulsion and united in solidarity," Raffarin told parliament, adding France remained an ally of Washington despite the disagreement.


"It is dangerous to engage unilaterally these days...What is needed is the unity of the international community," he said.


Despite the likelihood of war, a spokesman for Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said the minister would still probably fly to New York to attend a scheduled UN Security Council discussion on Wednesday on disarming Iraq.


The imminence of military action was underlined on Tuesday when witnesses said French diplomatic workers left Baghdad in a car convoy headed for the Jordanian capital, Amman.


Throughout the Iraq crisis, France has consistently argued it opposed Washington's war plans not out of anti-Americanism but from a conviction that the United Nations was the only body authorized to order an attack on a sovereign country.


Now that its veto threat has blocked a Security Council vote and forced the United States and Britain to wage war without a UN mandate, France can be expected to stress the central role it sees for UN humanitarian aid and reconstruction efforts in an Iraq controlled by the US military, diplomats said.


In an apparent reference to North Korea, which has expelled UN nuclear inspectors and reactivated atomic facilities that could reprocess plutonium for bombs, Chirac added:


"This is also a decision that compromises in the future the methods of peaceful resolution of crises linked to the proliferation of arms of mass destruction."

In another move Russia also fought to stop its new-found partnership with the United States going off the rails over Iraq but admitted their deep differences could destroy the anti-terror coalition binding them together.

Speaking by telephone with President George W Bush as US forces girded for action against Iraq, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said he regretted Bush's 48-hour ultimatum to Saddam Hussein to go into exile.

But the Kremlin said the two men had stressed the need to keep talking in the coming days, underscoring Putin's resolve to preserve his relationship with Bush through the crisis ahead.

However, there were sharp words from Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and parliament put off a vote to ratify a key bilateral nuclear arms treaty, further signalling Russian anger at Washington's rush towards military action.

"Unfortunately today, in connection with the looming threat of war against Iraq, the unity of the international anti-terrorist coalition is under threat," Ivanov told a Moscow conference.

Meanwhile the United States said it was disappointed with neighbours Canada and Mexico for their unwillingness to support a US invasion of Iraq.

"We're disappointed that some of our closest allies including Canada do not agree on the urgent need for action... As far as Mexico goes, same thing," State Department spokesman Richard Boucher told a daily briefing.

Canada said on Monday its military would play no role in any US attack on Iraq, a decision critics said would further aggravate the country's closest ally and trading partner.

In the last two weeks Canada has tried without success to negotiate a compromise over Iraq at the United Nations. The United States and Britain now look set to attack Iraq without a Security Council resolution authorising the use of force.

Mexico was one of six undecided members of the UN Security Council. It never had to declare its position because the United States abandoned its quest for a resolution.

Boucher said that Canada remained an important partner in Washington's global war on terrorism.

"Canadian naval vessels, aircraft and military personnel participating in the antiterrorist operations in the Persian Gulf regions, we understand, will continue their deployments, and we continue to co-operate closely with the Canadian government and Canadian law enforcement in protecting our common border," he added.

"We value our relationship with Mexico, and we'll continue to co-operate closely with the Mexican government on a full range of bilateral issues, including implementation of our 22-point border action plan," he added.

This came after Saddam Hussein rejected an ultimatum to quit Baghdad as the world awaited a U.S.-led onslaught on Iraq that could start within 36 hours despite fervent opposition from many nations.


President Bush gave the Iraqi leader 48 hours - until early Thursday Baghdad time - to flee with his sons or face removal at the hands of the 280,000 US and British troops massed around his borders.


As expected, Saddam rejected the demand, appearing in military uniform on state television, which quoted him telling his Cabinet he would emerge the victor despite Bush's determination to depose him, dismantle his government and rebuild a new, more democratic Iraq.


"The meeting stressed that Iraq and all its sons were fully ready to confront the invading aggressors and repel them," the television announcer said, reading a Cabinet statement.


"The wives and mothers of those Americans who will fight us will weep blood, not tears," Saddam's elder son, Uday, said.


- REUTERS

Herald Feature: Iraq