Use of veto by permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: French President President Jacques Chirac said Monday that France was prepared to veto the U.S.-backed resolution on Iraq if necessary, joining Russia in saying it would vote against giving Iraqi President Saddam Hussein a March 17 deadline to disarm. Chirac, the most determined opponent of authorizing war, seemed to kill the chance the U.S-backed ultimatum would pass, saying his country, which has veto power in the Security Council, would vote against any resolution leading to war. The six undecided members of the U.N. Security Council weighed delaying a deadline for Iraqi compliance to April 17, a month later than demanded in a U.S.-British-Spanish draft resolution, diplomats said on Monday. Russian Foreign Minster Igor Ivanov said his country would vote against the U.S. and British resolution in its current form, but left open the possibility of approving an ammended proposal. Britain would consider a compromise U.N. resolution that extends an ultimatum to Hussein beyond the March 17 deadline already proposed, British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s spokesman said Monday. Columbia Newsblaster summary