Iraq expects the United Nations this week to roll over the latest phase of the oil-for-food program designed to alleviate the impact of sanctions on ordinary Iraqis. But the process could be upset by Baghdad's rejection of any new British or US bid to revise the 11-year-old embargo with a revamped set of "smart" sanctions.
Iraq wants to see the United Nations "renew for a new (six-month) period the oil-for-food program," the 10th phase of which comes to a conclusion at the end of November, Foreign Minister Naji Sabri said last week.
"Our position is clear and unequivocal. We accept no modification of the (oil-for-food) accords signed between Iraq and the United Nations," Sabri said on his return from New York, where he dubbed the UN Security Council a "tool" of US policy.
Baghdad has repeatedly stressed it will continue to reject any US-British "smart" sanctions proposal aimed at updating the sanctions regime imposed on Iraq for invading Kuwait in August 1990. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said on November 15 that the United States and Britain were studying with Russia and other nations a proposal to revise the embargo.
The Security Council in July put off indefinitely a vote on such a US-British plan after Russia threatened to use its veto and opposition from Iraq's neighbors.
"The US administration and Britain are looking to benefit from international events to impose their aggressive projects, especially that of 'smart' sanctions," charged Qassim Saad Hammudi, a member of Baghdad's ruling Baath party. "But Iraq continues to refuse and will do so until the lifting of the embargo," Hammudi told AFP.
The official Al-Jumhuriya daily said Sunday, November 25: "Iraq wants a total lifting of sanctions in place for 11 years and the end of the tragedy of its people." But Baghdad is conscious of the growing influence of the United States in world politics. US ties have considerably warmed with Russia in the wake of the September 11 terror attacks on New York and Washington that left thousands dead.
"The US administration is now using blackmail" to have its policy on Iraq passed, according to Hammudi. "The Americans threaten either to undertake a new attack on Iraq or pass their 'smart' sanctions proposal through the Security Council."
The revised sanctions plan will permit Iraq to import all products not related to defense and will prevent it from importing products used to develop weapons of mass destruction, Britain's foreign secretary said. Straw gave no details but was quoted as saying by Al-Hayat newspaper that the plan was modified and improved, coming closer to positions expressed by Iraq's neighbors Jordan, Syria and Turkey. These three countries had expressed reservations about the smart sanctions regime.
"The countries that have supported Iraq, notably Russia and neighboring states, know full well that British and US attempts to make them believe in a revised project change nothing of its treacherous character," Al-Qadissiya newspaper warned. Al-Hayat, citing sources in Moscow, said Sunday that the United States had "asked Russia not to oppose the new formula" for a revamp of the crippling sanctions regime.
Straw has said that, pending a successful outcome to talks with Russia, he did not know when a revised project would be put before the UN Security Council. The council is scheduled to meet on November 28 for talks on the renewal of the next phase of the oil-for-food program, according to Iraqi officials. — (AFP, Baghdad)
by Farouk Choukri
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
