February 18, 2003	Tuesday	Zul Hijjah 16, 1423

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WASHINGTON, Feb 17: The diplomatic exercise to get UN support for a possible US military offensive against Iraq would be over in a week or two, diplomatic sources told Dawn on Monday.

“Once the diplomatic exercise is over, we can see a military offensive,” said a senior diplomat in Washington representing one of the member nations of the UN Security Council.

“The diplomatic timetable is being dictated by the military timetable,” he added.

Currently, the British delegation at the United Nations is busy drafting a resolution that would further tighten the noose around Iraq.

Diplomatic sources say the resolution is expected to give Iraq a deadline of two to three weeks to dismantle its missile facilities, give a list of its scientists involved in weapon-development and arrange private interviews with them.

The failure to do so, the sources said, would be interpreted as “a material breach” by Iraq and would justify a US military offensive.

The other proposal, the sources said, is that instead of giving a deadline, Iraq should be straightaway declared in material breach of the UN Security Council resolution 14441, which urges Iraq to disarm.

According to paragraphs 11, 12 and 13 of this resolution a material breach is punishable by a military action.

The third option, now being discussed privately with the members of the UN Security Council, is to seek a direct approval for US military action through a new resolution.

This, the sources said, removes the risk of the diplomatic exercise going awry and leading to a situation that may make it even more difficult for Washington to order an attack.

But the US officials feel that the third option may not be very popular. They believe that only four or five members of the 15-member Security Council will vote in favor of a direct military strike and it may even be vetoed by one of the five permanent members, the sources said.