The US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, tells VOA the United States will not tie economic aid to Cameroon, Guinea, and Angola to their UN security Council votes on Iraq.
In a telephone interview on Friday, Mr. Powell said he hopes the three African countries will support a draft resolution that could pave the way for military action against Iraq if Baghdad fails to disarm.
However, he insisted that all three countries are sovereign nations -- capable of deciding for themselves whether they deem such a resolution appropriate.
Mr. Powell added the United States remains in close contact with the leaders of the three nations on the Iraq situation and other ongoing bi-lateral agreements.
He rejected the idea that a US-led war on Iraq might be directed against Islam and Muslims. He said the United States helped Muslims when it intervened militarily in Kuwait, in 1991, in Kosovo in 1999 and in Afghanistan in late 2001.
The secretary of state also said the United States has no interest in conquering Iraq or taking away any country's sovereignty. He said the US goal is to, instead, promote international stability and good governance.