By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File staff writer

Washington -- Secretary of State Colin Powell says Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has made no "strategic, political decision" to disarm Iraq of its chemical and biological weapons, long-range ballistic missiles, and related components for building nuclear weapons.

"For the past four months he has been trying to avoid the consequences of his non-compliance, to escape the moment of truth," Powell said. "Now is the time for the [U.N. Security] Council to come together once again to send a message to Saddam that no nation has been taken in by his transparent tactics. Now is the time for the Council to underscore its unanimous conclusion that Saddam remains in material breach of his obligations."

Powell said the goal of the United States is the same as that of the U.N. Security Council -- the disarmament of Iraq.

"One last opportunity to achieve it through peaceful means remains open to Saddam Hussein, even at this late hour," Powell said March 5 during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "What we know for certain, however, is that Saddam Hussein will be disarmed. The only question before us now is how."

Powell begins meetings at the United Nations in New York March 6, one day before chief U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix of the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) is to give a formal report to the 15-member Security Council on the status of weapons inspections in Iraq, and the level of assistance being provided by the Saddam Hussein regime. A team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is also part of the Iraq weapons inspection program. Powell took the opportunity to praise the work of Blix and IAEA Director-General Mohammed ElBaradei, saying both men have worked diligently and earnestly to enforce the Security Council's resolutions.

"Nothing we have seen since the passage of 1441 indicates that Saddam Hussein has taken the strategic and political decision to disarm," Powell said in a 20-minute speech. "Over a period of years, in resolution after resolution after resolution, the same challenge was given to him, the same instruction was given by the international community, by the Security Council to Saddam Hussein: disarm, give up these weapons of mass destruction, stop threatening your people ... And for 12 years Saddam Hussein has given the same answer back repeatedly: 'No, I will not.'

"Iraq's too-little, too-late gestures are meant not just to deceive and delay action by the international community; he has as one of his major goals to divide the international community, to split us into arguing factions. That effort must fail."

Powell conceded that there have been divisions among the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- on a course of action to take to disarm Iraq.

"If these divisions continue, they will convince Saddam Hussein that he is right," Powell said. "But I assure you, he is wrong."

Powell said there has always been a difference among members of the Security Council in the perception of the threat posed by Iraq. "Some of my colleagues on the Council have never seen it quite as strongly as we've seen it," he said.

However, he said that when the Council voted unanimously for Resolution 1441 to force Hussein's compliance, the members knew the day might come when the use of military force would be needed.

"We have made clear that we believe the threat is so great that if the Security Council is unable to take action despite our best efforts to work with it -- we must in the interests of our own safety and, we believe, the safety of the region and the world -- reserve the option to act with the coalition of the willing nations if the Council does not act," Powell said. "We believe the situation is that clear and that dangerous."