Russia will block the passage of a second UN Security Council resolution on Iraq, doing "everything it can" to prevent it passing, a top foreign ministry official said in Moscow this morning.
Deputy Foreign Minister Yury Fedotov said Russia would block an amended draft resolution setting Iraq a March 17th deadline to disarm or face military action, "doing everything it can not to let the resolution pass in the UN Security Council," the Interfax news agency reported.
The amendment presented at the Security Council yesterday would have the United Nations declare that Iraq will be deemed to have failed to disarm "unless, on or before March 17, the Council concludes that Iraq has demonstrated full, unconditional, immediate and active cooperation" with UN inspectors.
Meanwhile, Iraq has resumed the destruction of its banned Al Samoud 2 missiles.
An information ministry official has said that six missiles are being destroyed at al-Taji, 13 miles north of Baghdad, under the supervision of UN weapons inspectors.
Iraqi officials agreed with the inspectors that Friday would be taken as a day off because three missiles were destroyed on Tuesday, which was the Muslim New Year.
"They did not work yesterday because they worked on a holiday," he said. "We confirm that the operation is going on according to the timetable and six missiles will be destroyed today."
Yesterday was the first day no missiles were destroyed since Iraq met a March 1st UN deadline to start ridding itself of the rockets.
PA AFP