FRANCE: Russia has joined France and Germany in categorical opposition to a UN Security Council resolution which would authorise the automatic use of force against Iraq, raising the danger of a confrontation among the council's five permanent members.
The French President, Mr Jacques Chirac, and the German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schröder, joined forces on Wednesday night after dining together at the Élysée Palace. "We are completely hostile that a resolution should indicate from now the automatic nature of a military intervention," Mr Chirac said, speaking for both countries.
Paris does not exclude the use of force against Iraq, but refuses to give Washington a "loaded gun" to act unilaterally, without consulting the Security Council, in the event of renewed Iraqi violations.
Mr Schröder, who was re-elected last month partly on the strength of his opposition to war, said: "I rejoice in the understanding of Jacques Chirac on Iraq." The French and German positions were "very close", he added.
Although Germany is not a member of the Security Council, a joint Franco-German stance could constitute the core of a European policy which would isolate Britain in the European Union.
Russia, which like France is a permanent member of the Security Council, expressed agreement with the two EU powers yesterday in a statement by a high-ranking official in Moscow.
"Attempts to make the UN Security Council subscribe to the automatic use of force against Iraq are unacceptable for us," the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Alexander Saltanov, told Interfax agency.
The firm positions taken by France and Russia make it unlikely Washington would submit the US- British draft resolution now circulating to a vote. Mr Bernard Valéro, a spokesman for the foreign ministry, said France did not want to contemplate exercising its veto.
"There are 15 members in the Security Council," he explained. "A resolution foreseeing the automatic use of force would have to be voted by nine to be adopted. In the present state of things, you could not get a majority of nine countries to vote for a resolution that would include the automatic use of force. We don't even dare think about a veto, because it would mean a strong division in the Security Council. That is not at all our objective."
China, a permanent member with veto power, is also hostile to the use of force. The Prime Minister, Mr Zhu Rongji, warned last week that if Mr Bush acted outside the Security Council, it could have "incalculable effects".
France and Russia are believed to be considering a joint resolution with Chinese support.
France has proposed a pro forma resolution sending inspectors back to Iraq, but insists that a mandate for military action would have to be the subject of further discussions and a second resolution. Russia has long advocated a resolution which would link the lifting of UN sanctions to the resumption of inspections.
Paris considers the unity of the international community to be more effective than threats in disarming Iraq.
"Let us not forget that more weapons were destroyed by inspections between 1991 and 1998 than during the Gulf War," the Foreign Minister, Mr Dominique de Villepin, said this week.
The US and France, Russia and China are also at loggerheads over the return of inspectors. The US and Britain insist it can take place only after a new resolution.
"Mr Hans Blix [the chief weapons inspector\] was received by the Security Council on September 19th," Mr Valéro said.
"They told him, 'Okay. Go talk to the Iraqis so the inspectors can return'.
That's what he did. Apparently he obtained positive, satisfying results. You can't go changing the rules of the game that the Security Council set itself 15 days ago."