Pakistan will abstain

For the past few weeks, the buzz indicated Pakistan would back US efforts to oust Saddam. But ultimately, domestic pressures are forcing Pakistan to abstain in its vote at the UN Security Council.

Remember, this resolution is dead in the water. France has already promised to veto it, and the Russians have essentially said the same thing.

The battle is over whether the US can muster a majority in the council to at least give an invasion a veneer of legitimacy. Yet the vote is shaping up thusly:

Pro:
Bulgaria
Spain
UK
US

Con:
France (veto)
Germany
Russia (veto)
Syria

Abstain: (essentially a "no" vote)
China (May actually vote "no")
Pakistan

Undecided:
Angola
Cameroon
Chile
Guinea
Mexico

In other words, the US would have to get the votes of every single undecided member to at least pretend it had the council's majority support.

Posted March 10, 2003 01:40 PM | Comments (32)