UNITED NATIONS, Jan 20: Germany said on Monday it could not support military action against Iraq because it fears the “disastrous consequences” on regional stability and that it would harm the “war on terrorism”.

France, too, expressed opposition to an invasion, saying there was no justification whatsoever for any action against Iraq.

The comments by German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer at a special UN Security Council meeting drew a firm rebuke from the United States.

Fischer said Berlin would insist that Baghdad comply with UN disarmament resolutions, but would firmly oppose the use of force, fearing major negative consequences.

He also said Germany believed UN weapons inspections underway were “moving in the right direction”, in contrast to statements by US and British officials.

“We are greatly concerned that a military strike against the regime in Baghdad would involve considerable and unpredictable risks for the global fight against terrorism,” Fischer told the UN Security Council.

“We have no illusions about the brutal nature of Saddam Hussein’s regime, therefore we all demand that Baghdad implement the relevant UN resolutions in full and without any exceptions,” he said.

“However, in addition to disastrous consequences for long-term regional stability, we also fear possible negative repercussions for the joint fight against terrorism,” Fischer said.

“These are fundamental reasons for our rejection of military action.”

Soon after, US Secretary of State Colin Powell rejected the German position, warning the council that it could not afford to be “impotent” in the face of Iraqi defiance.

“We cannot be shocked into impotence because we are afraid of the difficult choices that are ahead of us,” Powell said. “However difficult the road ahead may be with respect to Iraq, we must not shrink from the need to travel down that road.”

Powell told reporters after the meeting that he had made the strong comments in response to remarks from other ministers in attendance but did not mention names.

“What I was responding to were some comments made by other members of the Security Council,” he said. “I wanted there to be no mistake about this ... if the United Nations is going to be relevant it has to take a firm stand.”

FRANCE: The French foreign minister said nothing would justify an immediate military attack on Iraq.

“We believe today that nothing justifies military intervention,” Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin said through an interpreter at a news conference.

Speaking in English earlier, De Villepin said “if war is the only way to solve this problem, we are going down a dead-end.”

The crisis in Iraq is “something of a test,” he said. “The stakes are enormous.”

De Villepin earlier chaired a top-level meeting of the UN Security Council on strengthening the fight against international terrorism.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw told the council that time was running out for Iraq.

“There has to come a moment when our patience runs out, and we are now near to that point with Iraq,” said.

France and Britain are among the five permanent council members, each of which has the power to veto any resolution authorizing military action against Iraq.

“The unity and cooperation we have maintained since the start of the Iraqi crisis have been exemplary,” De Villepin said in English.

“We cannot gamble with peace — to build peace requires more effort than to make war,” he said later through an interpreter.

“We can be effective only if we work together,” he added.—AFP