President Bush Will Give Saddam Hussein an Ultimatum to Leave Iraq to Avoid War - 2003-03-17

In a speech to the American people tonight, President Bush will give Iraqi President Saddam Hussein an ultimatum to leave Iraq to avoid war. According to a White House spokesperson, the United Nations has failed to enforce its demands regarding the disarmament of Iraq, thus closing the diplomatic window. Ari Fleischer's comments came after the British ambassador to the United Nations announced that the United States, Britain, and Spain would not seek UN approval for the use of force against Iraq. The French representative at the UN responded to the British ambassador's remarks by stating that the use of force is not justified or legitimate at this time, as inspections in Iraq have yielded tangible results. He noted that the majority of UN Security Council members support this position. John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador to the UN, opposed France's stance, stating that the issue of a Security Council vote on the use of force against Iraq is no longer relevant. France, Russia, and China had previously announced that they would use their veto power in the UN Security Council to block any resolution that would currently authorize military action against Iraq. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell stated that previous UN resolutions specified that Baghdad would face severe consequences if it failed to disarm, justifying the position of the United States and its allies. Powell said that the Iraq crisis was a test that the UN Security Council clearly did not pass. Nevertheless, he stated that the UN is an important institution that will overcome existing disputes regarding Iraq and continue its existence.