Security Council split on rules for UN arms inspectors

The split in the UN Security Council was on full display last night as Britain and the US insisted on a tough new resolution to govern the next round of weapons inspections in Iraq.

But with France, Russia and China opposed to any mention of an automatic use of force if Iraq fails to comply with the UN demands, negotiations could drag on, testing the patience of the Bush administration. The three countries, which with Britain and the US hold veto power in the Security Council, fear Washington could act unilaterally to attack Iraq if the language in a US draft resolution were to be approved.

While the British ambassador to the United Nations, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, and the US representative, James Cunningham, spoke of "loose ends" that needed to be sorted out in the inspectors' mandate, Russia said the negotiation of a resolution would only delay further the return of the inspectors, who have been barred from Iraq for almost four years.

George Bush ratcheted up the pressure on Iraq and the United Nations yesterday, saying: "The choice is up [to] the United Nations to show its resolve. The choice is up to Saddam Hussein to fulfil his word. And if neither of them acts, the United States in deliberate fashion will lead a coalition to take away the world's worst weapons from one of the world's worst leaders."

Diplomatic sources in London admitted that several weeks could pass before a resolution was even tabled. Britain strongly favours a single-stage resolution, but does not rule out the possibility of moving closer to the position of the French, who are calling for a two-step approach, with the threat of force in a second resolution only if Iraq obstructs the inspectors again.

Next week, the British Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, sets off on a four-day tour of the Middle East and the Gulf that will take him to Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait and Iran. His first stop will be in Paris on Monday, where a long-standing cultural engagement has provided the opportunity for talks at the Foreign Ministry expected to cover a rival French-sponsored draft UN resolution on Iraq.

The text of the resolution is not in the public domain, but Paris is known to favour a second resolution to enable the Security Council – and not simply one member – to decide whether military action should be taken if Iraq is shown to be in breach of its obligations.

Diplomatic sources were keen to stress how far away the prospect of military action was, insisting that neither war nor the detailed contents of any new UN resolution would form part of Mr Straw's discussions in the region. The problems in the Middle East and prospects for convening an international conference would be on Mr Straw's agenda in Cairo, Amman and Kuwait, they said. It appears that British diplomacy will try to convince regional governments that the Middle East peace process has not been forgotten and that Western governments understand how central the Palestinian question is to peace in the region.

Who's who in the UN's circle of power

UNITED STATES: James Cunningham

The deputy US representative has been taking the lead on Iraq in New York owing to the temporary incapacitation of ambassador John Negroponte. Mr Cunningham served as acting US representative in 2001 while the Senate delayed Mr Negroponte's confirmation because of questions about his dealings with Honduras in the Eighties and its training of Nicaraguan Contras.

BRITAIN: Sir Jeremy Greenstock

Sir Jeremy Greenstock was political director of the Foreign Office before Downing Street sent him to New York. His first challenge was to lead a delegation to Indonesia to help resolve the East Timor crisis. Respected for his negotiating skills, he repeatedly finds himself as a bridge between the US and other members of the Security Council on issues from Iraq to the International Criminal Court.

RUSSIA: Sergei Lavrov

The suave Sergei Lavrov is the dean of the Permanent Five after eight years as Moscow's man in New York and well used to high-stakes negotiating. Despite speculation that President Vladimir Putin would choose him as Foreign Minister, Mr Lavrov has stayed in a city and a job he savours. Such is his fluency in English that he has been known to correct the UN interpreters.

FRANCE: Jean-David Levitte

A high-flyer of the French diplomatic service, Mr Levitte was a personal adviser to President Jacques Chirac on international affairs until his posting to the United Nations in early 2000. It is a case, however, of bonjour et au revoir for Mr Levitte in New York. He is shortly to move to the still more vaunted position of France's Ambassador to the United States in Washington DC.

CHINA: Wang Yingfan

Determinedly low profile, Wang Yingfan is a former vice-minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who arrived in New York two years ago. While relaxed in demeanour, Mr Wang has perfected the art of saying as little as possible in public. Inside the chamber, he is no less sotto voce. He represents a nation that prefers never to stick its neck out at the UN and he plays the role well.