France Calls for Continued Iraq Weapons Inspections
2003-02-14
Applause followed Dominique de Villepin’s speech to the United Nations Security Council on 14 February 2003. France’s foreign minister had urged the council to give weapons inspectors more time in Iraq. Washington was pressing for action against Saddam Hussein’s government. [1]
The inspectors had gained better access, though questions remained about Iraq’s cooperation. Hans Blix reported that hundreds of inspections had found no weapons of mass destruction; stocks Iraq had previously recorded were still unaccounted for. France, Germany, Russia, and China wanted inspections to continue. The United States argued that Iraq was deceiving the inspectors and refusing to disarm. [1]
De Villepin warned that war offered no assurance of a faster or more stable outcome. France’s appeal did not change President George W. Bush’s decision. On the evening of 19 March in Washington, Bush announced that American and coalition forces had begun military operations in Iraq. [1] [2]
Related Diplomats
Sources
- Security Council meeting 4707 — contemporary United Nations report
SC/7664: inspectors’ reports, de Villepin’s statement, applause and national positions; retrieved report text, not an archival PDF claim
- Bush’s address announcing military operations in Iraq
White House transcript, 10.16 p.m. EST
- Diplomatic Representation for French Republic
- CNN News: French ambassador's letter to the White House
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Cite This Article
France Calls for Continued Iraq Weapons Inspections. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record 659d871416b6f9a9f167. https://chanceries.org/research/history/france-iraq-4e53e68279/