Approval following fundamental changes in US draft resolution on Iraq; Syrian efforts block road before war, received guarantees

The UN Security Council yesterday approved the resolution relating to Iraq. During the past weeks Syria had made great efforts aimed at avoiding Iraq and the region grave results which might be inflected as a result of a military confrontation in the region.

In its international contacts and the deliberations of the UN Security Council, Syria sought the need of abiding by the principles of the UN charter and the international resolutions concerning Iraq; the Palestinian issue and the Arab Israeli conflict. Syria also worked with her friends at the UN Security Council to introduce fundamental changes on the US- British draft resolution and eliminated as possible any vagueness in the said draft resolution.

Syria also got international assurances from permanent members at the UN Security Council that remove perpetuated intentions, and these assurances confirm that the resolution will not be used for attacking Iraq and does not constitute a base to direct a spontaneous attack and that none of its articles authorizes any body for the use of force.

During these international contacts the pivotal role of the UN Security Council in dealing with all phases of the Iraqi file was stressed and this will be in the context of preserving Iraq's territorial integrity and finding out a comprehensive solution for the Iraqi issue that will be conducive to lifting the sanctions imposed on the Iraqi people since more than 10 years.

Syria has come out of these contacts that the international system as a whole was vulnerable through continued consolidation of the one-pole hegemony and Syria found the need of foiling the policy of war advocates at the UN through revitalizing the role played by the UN and its resolutions, based on the UN charter and preserving states sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Through the intensive international contacts with President Bashar al-Assad and with the foreign minister, Syria has reached the thinking that voting for the resolution at the UN Security Council will keep the region apart from perpetuated intentions to direct a military strike against Iraq, the beneficiaries of which are Israel and the enemies of the Arab nation.

News reports say that the draft American resolution, which was amended for the third time following 8 weeks of negotiations implies American concessions that gives the UN Security Council a role before a decision on any military action is taken.