United Nations: After nearly a decade of stringent UN sanctions against Iraq, Britain proposed for the first time to suspend the embargoes if Iraq answered outstanding questions on its dangerous weapons. But a draft resolution circulated last week, co-sponsored by The Netherlands would maintain "effective financial controls" to make sure Iraq did not reacquire weapons of mass destruction.Such controls restrict a free movement of goods. If the council approved the resolution, it would take at least eight months for any suspension of the sanctions to take effect. If Iraq met all requirements, the sanctions could be suspended for 120-day periods, subject to a new council vote at each interval, the draft says.
France, Russia and China have favored the suspension or lifting of sanctions for the past year and most Security Council members want the pressure eased on ordinary Iraqis who have borne the brunt of the embargoes, imposed in August 1990 after Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait.
But the United States,while indicating it would support a sanctions suspension under certain circumstances, has not yet come up with any extensive proposals to bridge the impasse. US officials, generally supportive of the British draft, said Washington would consider a suspension depending on further details.
However, diplomats said that it was doubtful the British draft could bridge gaps among key council members who have been meeting privately in search of a compromise. The Security Council has been deadlocked since US-British bombing raids last December on how to resume political and disarmament ties with Baghdad.
Arms inspectors left on the eve of the bombing and have not been allowed to return since then. France recently drew up a lengthy draft resolution that would suspend the sanctions after an arms monitoring system was in place and renew the suspension when the United Nations reported it was still effective and Iraq was cooperating.
But the French draft does not require Iraq comply with all the arms demands beforethe suspension of sanctions. Specifically, the new British-Dutch draft would:
Remove limits on the amount of oil Iraq could sell to buy food, medicine and other goods, currently limited to $5.26 billion every six months. This provision would go into effect when the resolution was adopted regardless of arms compliance. Set up a new UN Commission on Inspection and Monitoring (UNCIM), that would replace the current UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) but use its arms experts and resources. UNCIM and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would prepare a list of "key remaining tasks" within 90 after returning to Baghdad on Iraq's nuclear, biological, chemical and ballistic arms. After 120 days of operations, arms officials would report on whether Iraq had complied with their demands. Foreign oil companies then would be allowed to invest in Iraq to repair Iraq's tattered oil industry and increase capacity. If Iraq continued compliance with the inspectors for another four monthsand the financial controls were in place, the council could suspend sanctions for 120 days. The council would have to vote every 120 days on whether to continue the sanctions suspension. However, the British-Dutch draft does not spell out financial controls. British diplomats acknowledged the controls could include the current UN escrow account into which Iraq has to deposit its oil revenues and from which the United Nations pays suppliers of goods Baghdad purchases. In contrast, France wants to make sure Iraqis can trade civilian goods freely and get away from their current command government-controlled economy that Security council procedures encourage.Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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