When there was a sovereign state called France | Dominique de Villepin addressing the UN

UN Breaks Into Unprecedented Applause for French Foreign Minister’s Anti-War Address: We Hear Dominique de Villepin and Chief UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix

First published on February 17, 2003


On the day before the worldwide protests, chief UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei went before the United Nations Security Council to announce no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. Blix cast doubt on evidence provided to the UN by Secretary of State Colin Powell. And ElBaradei called for increased inspections. Their report was followed by an impassioned anti-war address by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin. When Villepin finished his remarks before the Security Council, the gallery burst into spontaneous applause, an unprecedented event at the UN.Tape:Hans Blix, chief UN inspector for biological and chemical weapons, recorded at the United Nations on Feb. 14, 2003.
Dominique de Villepin, French Foreign Minister, recorded at the United Nations on Feb. 14, 2003.
Phyllis Bennis, senior analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies, recorded at the New York anti-war rally on Feb. 15, 2003.On the day before the worldwide protests, chief UN weapons inspectors Hans Blix and Mohamed ElBaradei went before the United Nations Security Council to announce no weapons of mass destruction had been found in Iraq. Blix cast doubt on evidence provided to the UN by Secretary of State Colin Powell. And ElBaradei called for increased inspections. Their report was followed by an impassioned anti-war address by French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin. When Villepin finished his remarks before the Security Council, the gallery burst into spontaneous applause, an unprecedented event at the UN.

Tape:

  • Hans Blix, chief UN inspector for biological and chemical weapons, recorded at the United Nations on Feb. 14, 2003.
  • Dominique de Villepin, French Foreign Minister, recorded at the United Nations on Feb. 14, 2003.
  • Phyllis Bennis, senior analyst at the Institute for Policy Studies, recorded at the New York anti-war rally on Feb. 15, 2003.
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