US Secretary of State Colin Powell will attend Friday's UN Security Council meeting on Iraqi disarmament as the diplomatic battle heats up over a new resolution, US officials said today.
The officials said Mr Powell had decided to attend the meeting after the foreign ministers of France and Germany, whose countries oppose the resolution, signaled their intention to go.
Mr Powell's attendance at the session - at which chief UN weapons inspector Dr Hans Blix is to present his latest report on Iraqi disarmament - will set the stage for a high-stakes showdown over the resolution.
A formal announcement of the trip was expected later today, the officials said.
Shortly before the officials spoke, French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said that France, Germany and Russia would not allow the resolution to pass, strongly hinting that France and Russia - both permanent members of the council - might both use their veto power to stop it.
The new resolution will require nine votes in favor, without any vetoes, to pass and there is now a frantic struggle among the competing camps for the backing of undecided members.
The undecideds are Angola, Cameroon, Chile, Guinea, Mexico and Pakistan.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he was confident a majority of council members would support the new resolution.
AFP