PRESS CONFERENCE BY CHAIRMAN OF NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT BUREAU

The Non-Aligned Movement would urge the Security Council to allow inspectors to return to Iraq as soon as possible, Dumisani Shadrack Kumalo of South Africa, Chairman of its Coordinating Bureau, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this morning, as he briefed them on the Council debate, requested by the Non-Aligned Movement and scheduled to begin tomorrow, 16 October.

"We don't want war in Iraq, we would rather this be resolved in a peaceful manner", Mr. Kumalo said.  The Non-Aligned Movement, he said, welcomed the announcement by Iraq that it would allow the return of United Nations weapons inspectors, without any conditions, and that it re-affirmed respect for the sovereignty and political integrity of Iraq and Kuwait.  The priority was for Iraq to comply with Council resolutions, he said, and the return of the inspectors would begin that process in a way that offered the prospect of a peaceful resolution.

The Movement, he said, urgently requested an open debate on the issue in light of the discussion taking place, primarily among Permanent Members of the Council, on the possibility of military force being used to ensure Iraq's compliance.  This might bring the Council into uncharted territory.  The Non-Aligned Movement was deeply concerned that non-Permanent Council Members were being isolated from those deliberations, and that the Permanent Members might delay the return of the inspectors and lose a critical opportunity.

Responding to a question on the purpose of the debate, Mr. Kumalo said, “It’s not to take the wind out of the sails of the United States or anyone else.  It's to reaffirm the principles of the United Nations Charter."

It was essential, he said, that the views of all Member States were heard on such a critical subject.  "My dream would be for all 191 of them to speak", he said.

In response to other questions, he said the “uncharted territory” to which he had referred was the Council's threat of force at the same time that a Member State was making overtures to comply with its resolutions.  A two-stage resolution -- of which the second, more forceful, stage would “kick in” if the conditions of the first were not met -- was also unprecedented.  There were enough resolutions already to allow inspectors to return.  But if the Council determined that another one was needed for the purpose of resuming inspections, that was fine.

Correspondents also noted the scepticism of the United States administration towards Iraq's intentions, the inconclusiveness of the Vienna Process details for returning inspectors and the possibility that “so-called Presidential Palaces” would be exempt from inspections.  Mr. Kumalo said it was up to the Security Council to evaluate all the agreements and decide how to proceed.  Hans Blix, the head of United Nations inspection team, wanted to proceed on his understanding of unrestricted access.  "We'll find out when we're there if that's not really the case”, Mr. Kumalo said.

Once Mr. Blix went in, he said, the hope was that all outstanding issues could be resolved, answering questions concerning the lifting of sanctions.  Claims by Kuwait were among those issues.

A correspondent asked whether Mr. Kumalo was concerned about an ambiguous outcome that would ultimately allow United States military action.  He replied that he was pleased that the United States had brought renewed attention to resolving the situation, but the Security Council must be allowed to do its job properly.  "We just want to make sure the Security Council is allowed to do its job and get inspectors back in", he reiterated.

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