Russia and France block US draft resolution on Iraq

The Bush administration's patience with the UN Security Council was tangibly running short last night, as France and Russia raised renewed objections to a draft resolution on the Iraq crisis that the US has presented to its fellow council members.

Paris and Moscow, which hold veto powers on the council, made clear that obstacles still remained, despite five weeks of negotiations. The draft "does not, for the moment, meet the criteria which the Russian side had previously outlined and stands by now," Igor Ivanov, the Russian Foreign Minister, said. In Luxembourg, his French opposite number, Dominique de Villepin, said the council had "much work to do".

The new US draft, prepared with Britain, speaks of unspecified "serious consequences" if Iraq impedes the work of UN weapons inspectors. Washington is opposed to a separate second resolution, authorising the use of force that the French are demanding. Instead, the draft twice uses the phrase "in material breach" about Iraq's violation of UN resolutions, words which many international lawyers say amounts to a green light for military action. It also gives beefed-up powers to the inspectors.

As before, Iraq is being given seven days to accept the resolution, and 30 days to give a full inventory of its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programmes.

Yesterday, ambassadors of the five permanent members – Britain, the US, France, China and Russia – held fresh negotiations. But the real question is how much longer the US is prepared to wait, whether it will make further concessions, or simply table the new resolution and dare critics to use their veto.

"If the United Nations can't make its mind up, if Saddam Hussein won't disarm, we will lead a coalition to disarm him for the sake of peace," President George Bush repeated during a mid-term election campaign stop. His spokesman, Ari Fleischer, was more explicit: "It's coming down to the end ... the United Nations does not have forever."

Mr Bush has toned down his rhetoric about "regime change" in Baghdad, stressing the goal is disarmament. That is being seen as countering the argument that, by implying President Saddam will be ousted, Iraq has no incentive to comply.

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