US, Britain face opposition

UNITED NATIONS -- Despite stiff opposition in the Security Council, the United States and Britain still plan to press ahead this week with a new resolution seeking authorization to use military force to disarm Iraq, diplomats from the two allies said.\nThe United States and Britain face an uphill struggle following last Friday's modestly upbeat reports from top weapons inspectors and calls from the overwhelming majority of council members led by France for inspections to continue.\nBuoyed by weekend demonstrations around the world that attracted millions of people, the anti-war forces are likely to get another boost at the debate that starts Tuesday afternoon, when nations that aren't on the 15-member Security Council can express their views on the Iraq crisis.\nThe debate was scheduled at the request of South Africa, which heads the non-aligned movement of 115 mainly developing nations that are overwhelmingly opposed to the war. Sixty countries had signed up to speak by early Tuesday afternoon, and the session is not expected to conclude until Wednesday afternoon.\nSignaling the opposition ahead, French President Jacques Chirac said Monday his country would oppose any effort to draft a new U.N. resolution to explicitly authorize war against Iraq at this time. "There is no need for a second resolution today, which France would have no choice but to oppose," Chirac said.\nOn Tuesday, French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin downplayed the talk that France might use its veto.\nRaffarin said the veto was a "very strategic element" for France that allows Paris to act independently on the world stage. But he said the current strategy on dealing with the Iraq crisis "consisted of maintaining the unity of the international community."\nFrance, Russia and China are pushing to prevent a rush to war and let inspectors do their work while the United States and Britain insist that time has run out for Saddam to disarm peacefully.