PLAINS (USA), Oct 11: Former US president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Jimmy Carter on Thursday spoke out against unilateral US military action against Iraq, saying any move must be made through the United Nations.

“I would have voted ‘no’,” he told CNN television when asked about Thursday’s congressional resolutions authorizing President George Bush to order “necessary and appropriate” force against Iraq if the United Nations fails to disarm Saddam.

“I think there is no way that we can avoid the obligation to work through the United Nations Security Council, to wait until we get that condemnation of Saddam Hussein, to force him through the United Nations to comply completely with inspections of an unlimited nature and to make sure we destroy all his weapons of mass destruction and his ability to produce nuclear weapons in the future,” Carter said.

He welcomed, however, what he said was the Bush administration’s switch of focus away from unilateral action.

“The administration has come a long way in the last few weeks,” he said.

“It’s very significant that President Bush’s statement the other night ... calls for dealing with the United Nations, calls for inspections as a primary priority, and acting with other countries,” Carter said.—AFP