The United States will delay its attack on Iraq until February, a the earliest, after its diplomatic victory at the United Nations.
Western diplomatic sources said the passage of the UN
Security Council resolution on Iraq would give the regime of President
Saddam Hussein at least three months of breathing room. At that point, Iraq
will either have been disarmed or face U.S. attack.
"The resolution passed today presents Iraq with a test Ñ a final test,"
President George Bush said.
But diplomatic sources, as well as some U.S. officials, said the
Security Council resolution will suspend any plans to attack Saddam for at
least another few months, Middle East Newsline reported. They said this could also result in fewer air
attacks on Iraqi air defense assets in northern and southern Iraq.
Iraq must pledge compliance with the resolution by Friday. On Nov. 18,
an advance team of UN weapons experts will arrive in Baghdad to prepare for
inspections. By Dec. 8, Iraq must declare any weapons of mass destruction as
well as dual-use material in its petrochemical industry.
Officials said the UN effort toward Iraq will slow down deployment of
U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf region. They cited the need to maintain a
low military profile as well as keep troop morale high.
The Washington Post quoted officials as saying that an exercise in
December in Qatar is likely to proceed. The exercise involves the transfer
of 600 staff members of U.S. Central Command to the Al Udeid air base.
"If the president decides that military action is an appropriate course
of action, then the U.S. military will be prepared to move and to move
quickly," Pentagon spokesman Victoria Clarke said.
