Prometheus 6   

To no one's surprise, I'm sure

Why the Bushistas expected the UN to approve their proposed resolution on Iraq is now clear; there are just enough countries on the Security Council that may be bribable to get it passed—and even they're not happy at the moment. I am…amused that the other six are planning to abstain rather than vote no.

What this means as far as actual support is beyond me. Troops and money have to come from actual nations, not the U.N., I suspect.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Despite divisions in the 15-member U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte on Tuesday ruled out making any substantial changes to the Bush administration's draft resolution on Iraq.

Consequently, council diplomats said the United States had to decide soon whether to drop the effort entirely or push for a split vote in the council that might limit its impact.

Easy passage of the resolution, aimed a broadening military and financial support, was assured until Secretary-General Kofi Annan last week turned down U.N. political participation unless Iraqi sovereignty was accelerated.

At a Security Council session on Monday, most members wanted the resolution to deal with some of Annan's suggestions but Negroponte virtually excluded this.

"What I told the council members was that if in the coming days we put forward a resolution with an idea to putting it to an early vote, that they shouldn't expect any significant or radical departures from the resolution they have before them," Negroponte told a news conference.

"It's certainly our intent at this moment to press ahead with the resolution," he added.

Among the 15 council members, France, Russia, Germany, China and Syria were expected to abstain while only Britain, Spain and Bulgaria were sure votes, diplomats said.

The other six council members, Chile, Mexico, Pakistan, Angola, Cameroon and Guinea, expressed misgivings but might support the resolution under U.S. cajoling, the envoys said.

A minimum of nine positive votes are needed to adopt a resolution but a divided council could minimize its impact.