NSC sees no immediate US attack vs Iraq

President Arroyo and the National Security Council (NSC) believe the United States will not launch any unilateral preemptive strikes on Iraq in the immediate future without waiting for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution on the issue.

National Security Adviser Roilo Golez announced this at the end of a three-hour NSC meeting at Malacañang yesterday. The NSC is the country’s highest policy-making body.

Golez said the government, through another NSC meeting, will review its position on the country’s stand should the US proceed with its planned unilateral strike on Iraq.

Golez said Mrs. Arroyo and the NSC decided to take a "calibrated" course of action to review the Philippine position following the approval by the US Congress of the Bush administration’s plans to use force against Iraq to destroy weapons of mass destruction it believes Iraq is storing.

The NSC meeting was attended by former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and other leaders of Congress and the top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Golez initially talked about the US Congress resolution with certain "staff officials" in the US State Department and with personnel from the office of his American counterpart, whom he refused to identify.

"(US officials) told me that the Senate and House resolutions are part of their expectations and timetable. In other words, they’re on course. This will not change anything and they would now wait for the UNSC to debate on this starting middle of next week," Golez said.

He added that the US "does not expect any surprises between now and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders’ Summit later this month." Mrs. Arroyo and Bush will be among the APEC leaders who will attend this annual meeting at Los Cabos, Mexico on Oct. 25 and 26.

"We expect no action, no hostility, between now and the APEC (meeting) and I think this will be the situation all the way to November, unless there will be extreme provocation (from Iraq)," Golez said.

While she reaffirmed the Philippines’ support for the case of the US against Iraq, Mrs. Arroyo also reiterated the Philippine position that she will have to again confer with the NSC and review the country’s position on the matter before making any decision supporting a unilateral US attack on Iraq.

The US, Golez said, is "letting the process (continue), so it’s now in the hands of the UNSC and (we) await their action and respond accordingly," the NSC chief said. The UNSC is comprised of the US, France, Britain, China and Russia.

He said the President and the NSC anticipated the US Congress’ approval of the Bush administration’s war initiatives.