Britain furious at 'extraordinary' French statement

France today rejected the new British proposal setting out six conditions for Iraq's disarmament, bringing a swift and undiplomatic response from Downing Street.

Instead, Baghdad must be given a realistic deadline to get rid of its weapons of mass destruction, the French Foreign Minister, Dominique de Villepin, said in a statement.

"It's not about giving a few more days to Iraq before resorting to force but about resolutely advancing through peaceful disarmament."

His comments drew an outspoken response from the UK Foreign Secretary. Speaking outside Number 10, Jack Straw said the "extraordinary" statement made a peaceful resolution of the crisis "more difficult".

Britain would continue to seek support for its eminently reasonable tests today and tomorrow, he said.

"What I however find extraordinary is that without even proper consideration the French Government decided they will reject these proposals adding to the statement that whatever the circumstances France will vote no'," he said.

"When we negotiated resolution 1441 we not only placed obligations and responsibilities on Saddam Hussein but we also placed obligations and responsibilities on members of the security council as well.

"And those obligations were to see through the process of disarmament – hopefully something we continue to pray for by peaceful means.

"But if not that that would have to happen by way of what the resolution called serious consequence – which everybody knew meant, sadly, the use of force.

"What we are seeking to do is by this suggestion, these proposals of these tests, to ensure that even at this late stage there is a means by which Saddam can show reasonably that he is coming in to compliance with his obligations going back to 1991.

"And whatever the difficulties we face – and particularly the kind of statements which we are hearing from across the Channel – we will continue to work for this peaceful end.

"But I have to say, such statements rejecting the obligations on all of us, obviously make that process more difficult."

M. de Villepin said the British proposals "do not respond to the questions the international community is asking. It's not about giving a few more days to Iraq before resorting to force but about resolutely advancing through peaceful disarmament."

Britain tabled the list of conditions for Iraq's disarmamentat the United Nations yesterdsay hoping to break the impasse in the Security Council.

M. De Villepin said he believes weapons inspections in Iraq are "producing results" and that France supports all the countries of the Security Council that want to "give Iraq a realistic delay for reaching effective disarmament."

France said it does not support the idea of an ultimatum. It wants to "set out a framework for inspections with a work program and a precise calendar," M. de Villepin said.