'Last chance' plan to avert war

By EVELYN LEOPOLD and ALAN ELSNER

Britain is working on a United Nations compromise deal to give Iraq one last chance to disarm and avert war.

The British plan would give Baghdad more time to account for weapons of mass destruction.

It appears designed to secure votes in a divided Security Council that has so far shown no inclination to support military action against President Saddam Hussein.

Faced with opposition from France, Russia and Germany, Britain wants to amend a resolution it sponsored with the US and Spain to include a "window for a last turnaround by Iraq", said one envoy.

Diplomats said the measure was aimed more at undecided members of the council, such as Mexico, Pakistan and Chile, which are said to want the big powers to come up with a compromise or some measure which would allow them to justify war.

The British proposal would leave time between authorising war - as the resolution is now intended to do - and the start of hostilities.

The strategy is to get the nine votes needed for adoption in the 15-member council, then dare France, Russia or China to veto the measure.

The Bush Administration could then say it had tried its best.

The US had hoped to bring the resolution, which says Iraq has not taken its "final opportunity" to disarm, to a vote by the end of next week.

US officials knew of the British move and said they also were tinkering with the resolution's language.

But they would not say if they agreed with London's proposals.

The State Department had no official comment.

The diplomats said the British proposals did not include a follow-up resolution or further council decisions, but would demand a "real change of heart by Iraq".

"It would essentially require Iraq coming clean, admitting they still have weapons," one said.

The compromise is expected to be floated on Saturday, when foreign ministers representing most of the 15 Security Council members meet behind closed doors after a report by top UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei.

Yesterday, all sides raised the stakes in a tense and increasingly bitter tug-of-war about whether the United Nations should give 300,000 US and allied troops gathered in the Gulf region permission to invade Iraq and destroy Saddam Hussein's Government.

In Paris, France, Germany and Russia teamed up to oppose the war resolution.

France, Russia and China have veto power in the 15-member council, so a "no" vote by any of them would defeat the measure.

Flanked by his counterparts from Russia and Germany, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said: "We will not allow the passage of a resolution which would authorise the use of force".

A powerful international anti-war movement has mobilised millions of people around the world against the US plan, putting pressure on some of the Governments supporting Washington.

Pope John Paul II urged the world to help avert another "dramatic conflict" in a day of prayer and fasting against a war on Iraq.

His peace envoy met President Bush in Washington to urge him to pull back from war.

And in an embarrassing blow to US plans, Turkey's Parliament at the weekend rejected a Government motion to let about 60,000 US troops into the country to set up a northern front against Saddam's regime.

The country's powerful military said yesterday that it backed the Government motion.

The Government has indicated it may put forward a new motion on the American troops.

Its hand would be strengthened if the Security Council adopted the US-UK resolution.

Where they stand

* Of the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, Spain and Bulgaria back the American and British position on Iraq. Germany and Syria are opposed to military action.

* It is not known how the other non-permanent members - Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan - might vote, but they are reported to be in favour of continued inspections.

* To be passed, a resolution requires nine votes in favour and no vetoes. The US, Britain, France, Russia and China have the power of veto.

- REUTERS