UN Security Council passes resolution on Iraq

The United Nations Security Council passed a US backed resolution calling for Iraq to back down from its threat to expel American members of UN weapons inspection teams. The resolution passed in a unanimous vote of all fifteen nations with no abstentions.

The resolution which the US sought to make stronger by including the words "Serious consequences " if Iraq failed to abide by UN inspection team demands, has been watered down. The new resolution that passed has four main points: It condemns the Iraqi threat to expel American inspectors, demands the cooperation of the Iraqi government in arms inspections, authorizes a travel ban against Iraqi officials who obstruct weapons inspections, and threatens further--unspecified--action against Iraq if it does not comply. This last point was made clear by the Chinese, Russian and other security members to mean clearly that it does not include military action.

The US ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, said that the end goal of the resolution was to gain the "full and unconditional reopening of UNSCOM." "Iraq must comply or face consequences," Richardson said. He also said that military action was not out of the question.

Richards added that "the crisis is not over, and that the deadline for compliance is immediate."

Iraq had already stated that it would not comply with the resolution if passed. UN Security Council members are being "blackmailed" into "temporary submission" by the US and that the coalition is "already cracking," according to an Iraqi official.

Several members of the council have spoken out in oppositon to the use of military force against Iraq.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that Iraq has improved its air defenses in the South by adding an additional missile launcher, in violation of UN sanctions, CNN reported.

Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Aziz has said "They do not scare us". Iraq has repeatedly said that it will expel the US members of the UN team baring some new developments.