WASHINGTON, March 12: US President George W. Bush courted support on war with Iraq from the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Pakistan and Russia on Wednesday in a third straight day of frenzied telephone diplomacy.
The calls came as the United States was refusing to budge from its demand that the UN Security Council vote this week on a resolution paving the way for military action, according to White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Bush’s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin comes as Moscow’s veto warning threatens to make US efforts to win the nine votes needed for council approval of the measure largely symbolic.
“There’s no question that the president will be disappointed in those nations that vote otherwise. There’s no question about it,” said Fleischer, who hinted that a veto might harm Russo-US ties.
“I think that the American people reach their own conclusions. The American people think about these things. The representatives of Congress think about these things,” he said.
The US leader also spoke to President Pervez Musharraf, whose nation, a non-permanent Council member, has said it does not want war but has clouded its final stand on the matter.
Fleischer declined to provide any details of that call.
Bush and UAE President Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan and Philippine President Gloria Arroyo — neither of whom controls a vote on the Council — were largely in agreement on the need to disarm Iraq, said Fleischer.
On Tuesday, Bush called the leaders of Angola, Chile and Mexico, all seen as wavering members of the UN Security Council, where Washington needs nine votes to pass a US-British-Spanish resolution seen as paving the way for war.
On Monday, Bush spoke to leaders of China, Japan, Oman, South Africa, Turkey, Senegal, Nigeria and Spain.—AFP
