World News 12-11-2002 US Warns Of Iraq War Before Christmas who: General Colin Powell what: Says US will take swift action if Iraq fails to comply with UN resolution when: Yesterday snippet: "Senior politicians in Iraq voiced defiance yesterday in the face of the UN ultimatum on weapons inspections," reports The Mirror this morning. "They spoke out as the country`s parliament went into emergency session to debate the Security Council resolution, passed 15-0." "Parliamentarians queued up to condemn the resolution," says The Guardian. "If their recommendations were to be accepted by President Saddam it would trigger a US-led war." On the face of it, they appeared to be "preparing the stage for a momentous rejection," comments Anton La Guardia, diplomatic editor of the Telegraph. "But the MPs made clear that the real decision would be taken elsewhere: by the Revolutionary Command Council and Saddam." Meanwhile, in The Financial Times, Reuters reports this morning that President Hussein`s son Uday has called on parliament to accept the resolution. Baghdad has until Friday to make clear its answer to the ultimatum and US Secretary of State Colin Powell warned yesterday that if Iraq is determined to defy the UN, it could spell war before christmas. "We`re not going to wait until February to see whether Iraq is co-operating or not," he said, quoted in The Independent. [... more]

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