The note, a copy of which has been obtained by the Chronicle, was despatched to individual member governments of the Community on Tuesday, March 18.

It followed disclosure that the recently concluded Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Malaysia had mandated the pursuit of an initiative for its member states to convene a special session of the 191-member UN General Assembly to discuss the planned war against Iraq and its implications for peace and security.

Ministerial and diplomatic sources explained yesterday that delay in organising the proposed special session had to do partly with the fact that the matter was still being debated at the level of the 15-member UN Security Council.

Further, said one Foreign Minister, "it may now be of academic interest since the war against Iraq has already started, although it does not necessarily mean that the initiative has been abandoned".

But one senior Caribbean diplomat pointed out: "It is really puzzling to learn that the USA feels compelled to virtually instruct sovereign states that are members of the United Nations and also involved in the Non-Aligned Movement, how they should conduct their international affairs".

"In particular", he added, "how we should vote, against or by abstention, for the convening of a special meeting of the UN General Assembly to deal with the war against Iraq, knowing that such a war has not been authorised by the UN Security Council..."

The U.S. State Department 'diplomatic note', forwarded to governments in the Caribbean and other regions of the world through its overseas missions, has specifically urged member states to oppose the holding of the proposed session of the General Assembly by either voting against or abstaining "if the matter (the issue of war on Iraq) is brought to a vote".

In what is viewed as an implicit warning, the George Bush administration stated in its note:

"Given the current highly charged atmosphere, the United States would regard a General Assembly session on Iraq as unhelpful and as directed against the United States. Please know that this question as well as your position on it is important to the United States..."

One head of government, in an off the record comment, said he was "surprised" to find that Washington should regard "our right, as members of the UN to consider arranging a session of the General Assembly as being 'directed against' the United States. Or that our participation would be seen as divisive and unfriendly towards America".

He said that he has "no intention of replying to the note" and felt it was "highly improbable" that any of his fellow CARICOM heads of government will do otherwise at this time.

At their Inter-Sessional Meeting in Port-of-Spain last month, the CARICOM leaders issued a joint statement on February 15 in which they warned against war on Iraq without the endorsement of the UN Security Council.

In the `Statement on Iraq' the community leaders expressed "particular anxiety at the consequences a war would have not only for the region of the Middle East, but for the entire world, and the disproportionate burden that would be borne by small developing states".

"Including", they stressed, "those in the Caribbean, which are ill-prepared to cope with the impact of a global recession provoked by volatile oil prices, severe dislocation to their vital tourism and financial sectors and falling levels of investment..."

Over the past 48 hours there have been individual responses, either at ministerial or heads of government level by some CARICOM governments against the war launched on Iraq yesterday.

Among the countries are Jamaica and Barbados.