UN won't uncover cause for war: PM

By FRANCESCA MOLD political reporter

Helen Clark believes weapons inspectors will not find the "smoking gun" needed before the United Nations will sanction military action against Iraq.

The UN's top arms inspector, Hans Blix, will present a report on whether Iraq has any chemical, biological or nuclear weapons to the UN security council on January 27.

The Prime Minister said she believed his report would find that there was more work to do in terms of inspections in Iraq but it would not identify specific significant concerns that would encourage the UN to back an invasion.

The question would then be whether the United States would act on its threat to take military action without UN support.

In the past few weeks, the US has sent warplanes, ships and tens of thousands of troops to the Gulf. Britain has also sent 3000 marines to the Gulf aboard the helicopter carrier Ocean.

Helen Clark said the situation was finely poised.

"I've been estimating that in the last two weeks it is about 52 to 48 per cent against military intervention."

The Prime Minister said New Zealand's stance on Iraq had not changed.

It would not support any military action unless it was mandated by the United Nations security council.

She also expressed concern yesterday about reports in Britain of potential terrorist activity.

Four North Africans are facing terrorist and chemical weapons charges after the deadly poison ricin was found in a London flat last week. A policeman was stabbed to death and four others injured in a raid on another flat linked to the ricin discovery.

Helen Clark said the incident showed more "out of left-field" terror attacks could not be ruled out.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Phil Goff has sent a second letter to his North Korean counterpart calling on that country to drop its plans to develop nuclear weapons.

He said North Korea's withdrawal from the Non-Proliferation Treaty would further isolate it from the international community and would damage its chances of receiving financial support for the rebuilding of its economy.

Mr Goff has also written to the foreign ministers of China and Russia, asking them to use their influence to bring North Korea into line.

The minister said North Korea claimed it was developing weapons because it was afraid of an attack by the United States.

But the US had indicated it had no such intention, he said.

Herald feature: Iraq