The United Nations (UN) Security Council has approved new restrictions on Iraqi imports. The Council voted 13-0, with Russia and Syria abstaining, to adopt adjustments to the Goods Review List (GRL), an integral part of the UN’s oil-for-food program, reported a UN news alert.
Goods now requiring approval include drugs that could protect Iraqi soldiers from poison gas and anthrax. New additions also include some trucks, as well as boats like those used in the attack on an American warship off the coast of Yemen two years ago.
Claiming Iraq has been importing dual-use items for military rather than civilian use, council member United States has been pushing to add new items to the GRL. A review of the GRL would “ensure that Baghdad does not manipulate the program to increase its support for conventional military or weapons of mass destruction programs," said US Ambassador John Negroponte.
The Council will conduct regular, thorough reviews and requested that the Committee overseeing the sanctions against Iraq to review the GRL and the implementation procedures as part of its regular agenda and recommend necessary additions and deletions from that list and its procedures.
In December 1996, a UN Security Council Resolution established the oil-for-food program. Under Resolution 986, all proceeds obtained from Iraq’s closely monitored oil sales are deposited in an escrow account used to purchase humanitarian supplies designated by a special UN committee.
During the program’s six years in operation, the UN has supervised the sale of $58 billion worth of Iraqi oil at below market prices to approved buyers. Over 40 percent of Iraq’s total oil export revenues, some $25 billion, have been allotted by the United Nation’s Compensation Commission (UNCC) to covering Gulf War reparation payments and the cost of UN operations in Iraq. — (menareport.com)
© 2002 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
