Iraq under pressure to disarm as NAM states reject US attack
KUALA LUMPUR - Condemnation of a unilateral US attack on Iraq was assured at a meeting here of more than two-thirds of United Nations members Saturday, but Baghdad came under heavy pressure to disarm.
Foreign ministers and senior officials of the 114-nation Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) were still trying to iron out a draft declaration on the Gulf crisis presented by Arab member states Friday.
Several states, including Singapore, Chile, Kuwait and Indonesia, said the draft leaned in favour of Iraq and sought more pressure on Baghdad to give up its weapons of mass destruction in line with UN resolution 1441.
"This is the only way out, the only way to achieve a peaceful resolution to this conflict. Unfortunately, Iraq is not complying fully and this is what is producing the tension in our region," said Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Mohammad Alsalem Alsabah.
"It is not a question of war or peace. It is a question of respecting international law and international legitimacy, so it is really up to Iraq. It is up to Saddam Hussein and not other parties."
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