U.N. Security Council Wrangles Over Sanctions

In a surprise move, the French all but backed the American position on sanctions in New York on Tuesday, urging the Security Council to suspend most sanctions against Iraq. U.S. President George W. Bush called for an end to sanctions last week so that oil revenue could be used to finance postwar Iraq reconstruction.

President Bush's position has been staunchly opposed by many at the UN -- namely the Russians and Germans, who feel sanctions should only be lifted once U.N. weapons inspectors -- and not the American inspectors installed at the end of the war -- have certified that Iraq is free of biological and chemical weapons. The Americans have so far expressed little willingness to permit U.N. weapons inspections to resume.

Who should hunt for weapons?

France's Ambassador to the UN, Jean Marc de la Sablière, made his announcement at the Security Council meeting on Tuesday, the first time council members met to discuss postwar Iraq. The French also sided with Washington in the emerging debate over who should be responsible for weapons inspections in postwar Iraq.

"There was no U.N. mandate for the U.S. and British led war against Iraq," said Sablière. "But the council must take the new realities into consideration."

Given France's steadfast opposition to the war, the diplomatic shift came as a surprise.

Under the standing U.N. resolution, the original sanctions can only be lifted after U.N. inspectors certify that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction. But the U.S. installed its own inspectors at the end of hostilities and has not signaled any willingness to yield authority to a team lead by U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix.

"For the time being, and for the foreseeable future, we visualize the inspections as being a coalition activity," said John Negroponti, the U.S. ambassador to the UN. "The coalition has assumed responsibility for the disarming of Iraq."

White House spokesman Ari Fleischer echoed Negroponti's position: "We are looking forward, not backward. Saddam Hussein's regime is gone, and we will need to reassess the framework designed to disarm the regime given the new facts on the ground."

Germans, Russians call for U.N. inspections

The Americans, now joined by the French, are at odds with most remaining members of the Security Council, who see the lifting of sanctions closely tied to the return of U.N. inspectors. The Russians and Germans have both stated that, though they have nothing against the lifting of sanctions in principle, it should only take place after U.N. weapons inspectors give the all clear.

"We are not at all opposing the lifting of sanctions," said Russian Ambassador Sergei Lavrov. "What we are insisting on is that Security Council resolution must be implemented. We all want to know that there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and the only way to verify it is to have inspectors see for themselves and to report back to the Security Council. As soon as they deliver the report, the sanctions could be lifted, I'm sure."

Germany, which once stood side-by-side with Paris and Moscow in rejected the war, said it will await independent verification from the UN before approving any lifting of sanctions.

Strong words from Blix

U.N. Chief Weapons Inspector Hans Blix also addressed members of the Security Council at the meeting on Tuesday. Speaking for the first time at the UN since the start of the war, Blix had harsh criticism for the United States, and concurred with the Russians and Germans that the UN should bear the responsibility of postwar weapons inspections.

Blix said Washington and London built their case against Iraq based on shaky evidence and had, at times, undermined his efforts to discover the truth.

"I think it's been one of the disturbing elements that so much of the intelligence on which the capitals (Washington and London) built their case seemed to have been shaky," he said. "We may not be the only ones in the world who have credibility, but I do think we have credibility for being objective and independent."

Blix has announced that he will leave his position as chief weapons inspector when his contract expires on June 30. And even if the Russians and Germans succeed with their positions, it is unlikely inspections will resume under Blix's leadership.

French, U.S. tensions persist

The French move may be seen as a fence-mending effort, aimed at restoring ties with the Americans after the French took a strong ant-war position against the United States and threatened to use their veto in the Security Council. It may also be aimed at ensuring France isn't sidelined from Iraqi reconstruction efforts.

But will this olive branch be enough to put the French back in the current American administrations good graces? Early signals from the Bush team signal that they won't be. In an appearance on the U.S. talk show "Charlie Rose," Secretary of State Colin Powell said France would suffer the consequences of its actions prior to the start of the war.

"We have to look at all aspects of our relationship with France in light of this," said Powell. When asked if there would be consequences, Powell said, "yes". According to a BBC report, senior U.S. officials met on Monday to discuss what kinds of tough measures should be taken against the French.

In response to the French call for an end to sanctions a day later, Richard A. Boucher, a State Department spokesmen seemed less then overwhelmed, "it may be a move, you know, sort of in the right direction."