-Caveat Lector-
>From LA Times
British, Dutch to Offer Resolution on U.N. Inspections, Foreign Oil
Investments in Iraq
By JANET WILSON, Times Staff Writer
<Picture: U>NITED NATIONS--Britain and the Netherlands plan to
introduce a Security Council resolution that could allow foreign oil
companies to invest in Iraq if President Saddam Hussein cooperates
with U.N. weapons inspectors, and if a team of experts to be
assembled by Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommends it.
"We want to move full-steam ahead on humanitarian provisions to
the people of Iraq," a British diplomat at the U.N. said Tuesday. "We
are not in the business of relaxing Saddam's compliance with Security
Council resolutions. This allows for investment in the Iraqi oil
industry only after Iraq has demonstrated compliance in certain
areas."
Under the plan, Hussein would have to allow weapons inspectors
full access for 120 days under a newly formed U.N. Commission on
Inspection and Monitoring.
At the same time, Annan would appoint a panel of experts to
report on Iraq's humanitarian needs and how the nation could increase
its oil production to buy food, medicine and other necessities for
civilians.
The panel could recommend increasing the number of oil export
outlets allowed under the oil-for-food program. The program, which
will expire Monday but has been routinely extended in the past,
allows Iraq to sell $5.25 billion worth of oil every six months in
order to buy emergency goods for ordinary Iraqis suffering under
sanctions imposed since Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait in 1990.
A spokesman for the secretary-general said he himself had heard
nothing about the proposal. Annan is traveling overseas, and a
routine report from his office on the oil-for-food program is
expected to be released this week.
Both France and China could have potentially lucrative oil
contracts with Iraq if sanctions are lifted. They have been backing a
competing Russian resolution that would lift sanctions as demands for
information about humanitarian concerns or weapons are met.
The British and Dutch resolution, which is expected to be
introduced Friday, would only declare the "intention to consider"
lifting sanctions if Hussein met conditions.
Copyright 1999 Los Angeles Times. All Rights Reserved
>From www.wired.com
Iraqi Paper's Online Edition
by Polly Sprenger
3:00 a.m. 18.May.99.PDT
Iraq's main newspaper, Al-Zawra, has launched an online edition that it hopes will win
world sympat
hy for conditions in the embattled nation. Instead, the site provides a window to a
world the techn
ology has bypassed.
Al-Zawra is among the important Iraqi publications owned by President Saddam Hussein's
eldest son,
Uday, who is an inside advocate for technology in Iraq. Some reports say that it's a
source of conf
lict within the family.
The newspaper's site is still immature, with few working links and a slow load time.
Most of the rest of the Arab world has broad access to the Internet and other advanced
information
technologies. But bans by its own government and the United Nations have left Iraq
lagging behind,
said George Capaccio, a
n activist who works with the Campaign for the Iraqi People. "Although people are
aware of email an
d the Internet, it's just not accessible there."
Al-Zawra is the second Iraqi news organization to come online. The Iraqi News Agency
launched a sit
e late last month to report news from within Iraq.
The only official Web site of Iraq is that of the Iraqi UN Mission, which is based in
the United St
ates. Iraq has been assigned the international domain .iq. But without an Internet
infrastructure,
there is no way to buil
d on that domain.
According to a 1998 report on the state of networking technology in Iraq, the only way
for an Iraqi
individual to access the Internet is through a long-distance phone call to a foreign
Internet serv
ice provider.
Al-Zawra is hosted by a Jordanian ISP.
Hussein's government is said to be critical of information technology investments
because giving th
e Iraqis access to all that the Internet provides would make monitoring the
dissemination of inform
ation more difficult.
Uday Hussein publicly criticized the practices of the government in a mid-1997
editorial about bans
on satellite technology and foreign press clippings. There are rumors that he has
fought with his
father and younger brot
her -- who runs internal security -- on the subject.
But a source at the Iraqi mission to the UN in New York said that President Hussein's
government is
trying to import satellite technology for Internet use, and is being prevented by the
sanctions co
mmittee of the UN.
"Externally, we are not permitted to have an Internet service in Iraq," he said. "As
to why, you'll
have to ask the sanctions committee of the UN."
The source said that in the last several months, Iraq had applied to the sanctions
committee to pur
chase a satellite dish from a foreign vendor, but that the request had been put on
hold for an unsp
ecified amount of time.
Humanitarians hope that the site will make the world aware of the damage done by UN
sanctions, whic
h have been in effect since 1990. But they acknowledge that the site will likely echo
the views of
Hussein's government.
Peter Lems, an activist in the United States working on lifting the sanctions against
Iraq, said th
at the Web site is geared more toward Western newspapers than toward people living in
Iraq.
"It has less to do with sharing information inside Iraq than trying to get larger
papers inside [th
e US] to pay attention to what's going on there," said Lems, who is program assistant
for Iraq at t
he American Friends Ser
vice Committee.
"There's a strange contrast. On the one hand, there's a fair amount of coverage
whenever there's a
bombing in the no-fly zones," Lems said. "But as for the humanitarian crisis, that's
not being disc
ussed."
Human rights advocates fighting to lift sanctions on Iraq say that
it's difficult to get a straight answer from the UN on what equipment
is allowed into the country.
"We've tried to clarify with the sanctions committee if there is a
list [of banned items]," said Lems. "The US mission has been quite
vague on whether or not a list exists."
The member of the US delegation to the UN responsible for embargoed
items did not respond to telephone calls for this story.
>From IRNA (Iran)
thr 033
world oil-mergers
fears raised of shortage in world oil supply
london, may 19, irna - an aberdeen-based industry consultancy has
raised fears of a world shortage in oil supplies in the new
climate of mergers and financial concerns.
in a new monthly report, petrodata warned that the scenario could
come about very quickly through cut-throat competition in a global
industry concentrated in the hands of 'supermajors.'
the danger, it suggested, was that oil conglomerates were
stampeded into joining forces and slashing costs in a low price
environment, which could allow supplies to lag behind the growth
in world oil demand.
richard shepherd of petrodata said that international oil
companies were tending to drop production growth targets in favour
of defending net income and returns on capital in the background
of predatory ambitions of their competitors.
oil firms, he said, will "sacrifice production growth for
short-term financial performance." if they do not, they "risk being
swallowed up by those who keep their eyes on the stock price and not
on drilling programs," he said.
his warning comes amid such mergers as bp amoco and the still
be approved exxon-mobil that concentrate power in the hands of
fewer companies.
hc/rr
end
::irna 19/05/99 16:16
>From Iraqi Nat'l Congress
www.inc.org.uk
<<Does this amount to 'adoption papers' {i.e., $$$} ?>>
Letter From Congressional Leadership To INC
Congress of the United States
Washington DC
May 4, 1999
The Executive Presidency
Iraqi National Congress
Washington DC
Dear Gentlemen
We were pleased to learn the outcome of the recent meeting of the
Iraqi National Congress' Executive Council and commend you on the
formation of an Executive Presidency and the unity which it
signifies.
There are many urgent tasks ahead for the Iraqi opposition. As you
are aware, disunity in the past has harmed pro-democracy forces in
Iraq, and hampered the shared goal of ousting Saddam. Because of
that, and with a view to demonstrating to the people of Iraq and to
your friends and allies throughout the world that Iraqis of all
ethnic and political persuasions are represented in the INC, it is
imperative that you and all your colleagues reach out to all
opponents of the Iraqi regime.
As your outreach programs gather steam and you begin to formulate
plans for the liberation of Iraq, we invite you to join us in
Washington to share your ideas. At that time, you will have an
opportunity to outline your vision of a post-Saddam Iraq for the
Administration and the Congress, as well as to report of your
progress in building regional support. As the United States
Government works to implement the Iraq Liberation Act, your input
will be vital.
We look forward to seeing you as soon as possible, and assure you
that you many count on our strong support.
Sincerely,
Senator Trent Lott Senator J. Robert Kerrey
[signed] [signed]
Senator Jesse Helms Representative Benjamin Gilman
[signed] [signed]
>From Assyrian Int'l News Agency
www.aina.org
The Assyrians
The Assyrians are the indigenous people of Mesopotamia and have a
history spanning over 6700 years. Today, the Assyrians are the
descendants of the ancient Assyrian Empire and one of the earliest
civilizations emerging in Mesopotamia. Although the Assyrian empire
ended in 612 B.C., history is replete with recorded details of the
continuous persistence of the Assyrian people till the present time.
Assyrian civilization at one time incorporated the entire Near East,
most notably the area of the Fertile Crescent. The heartland of
Assyria lies in present day Northern Iraq. The remains of the ancient
capital of Assyria, Nineveh, lie<Picture: assyria.jpg (45631 bytes)>
next to Mosul in Northern Iraq.
The world�s 4.5 million Assyrians are currently dispersed with
members of the Diaspora comprising nearly one-third of the
population. Most of the Assyrians in the Diaspora live in North
America, Europe, and Australia. The remaining Assyrians reside
primarily in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Lebanon, and Turkey.
The Assyrians are not to be confused with Syrians. Although the name
of Syria is directly derived from Assyria and the land was once a
part of Assyria the people of Syria currently maintain a separate
Arab identity. The Assyrians are not Arabs, but rather have
maintained a continuous and separate identity, language, and culture
that predates the Arabization of the Near East. Until today, the
Assyrians speak a distinct language, Syriac, the language spoken by
Jesus Christ. As a Semitic language, the Assyrian language is related
to Hebrew and Arabic but predates both.<Picture: mshikha.jpg (35054
bytes)>
The Assyrians were the first to accept Christianity in the first
century A.D. Despite the subsequent Islamic conquest of the region,
the Assyrian Church flourished and its adherents at one time numbered
80,000,000. Assyrian missionary zeal was unmatched and led to the
first Christian missions to China and Japan. Today, the Assyrians
belong to three major Christian sects: the Church of the East, the
Chaldean Church, and the Syrian Orthodox Church. Branches of these
Churches have led to other Christian Assyrian Churches. A direct
consequence of the Assyrian adherence to the Christian faith has been
persecution, massacres, and ethnic cleansing by various waves of non-
Christian neighbors, which ultimately led to a decimation of their
numbers.
Great Britain invited most recently and tragically, the Assyrians as
an ally in World War One. The Assyrians were drawn into the conflict
following successive massacres against the civilian population by
forces of the Ottoman Empire consisting of Turks and Kurds. As a
direct result of the conflict over two-thirds of the Assyrian
population were massacred. Most of the remaining Assyrians were
driven out of their ancestral homeland in Turkish Mesopotamia
primarily toward the area of Mosul Vilayet in Iraq, Jazira in Syria,
and the Urmiah plains of Iran. The massacres of 1915 followed the
Assyrians to these areas as well, prompting a massive exodus to other
countries and continents.<Picture: dawid.jpg (21371 bytes)>
The Allies, namely Britain, had promised the Assyrians autonomy,
independence, and a homeland. However, with the termination of the
British Mandate in Iraq, the Assyrian question was turned over to the
Iraqi government with certain minority guarantees specifically
concerning freedom of religious, cultural, and linguistic expression.
The Assyrians in Iraq have subsequently been denied recognition of
their ethnic heritage and have been discriminated against politically
by the government. Moreover, the guarantees of freedom of religious,
cultural, and linguistic expression have not been realized. The
Assyrian identity entails an inextricably intertwined combination of
language, culture, and religion such that to deny full expression of
any one element threatens the Assyrian identity as a whole.
Following dispersal and decimation of the Assyrian population,
Assyrian identity has been under tremendous attack during this
century. Historically, the Assyrians� neighbors have repeatedly
attempted to Arabize, Kurdify, Turkify, or Persify the Assyrians.
Scarcely has there ever been political recognition of the true
distinct Assyrian identity. And, naturally, all their neighbors share
in the common attempt to Islamicize the Assyrian Christians.
Following the Gulf War of 1991, the United Nations established a safe
haven in Northern Iraq above the 36th parallel for<Picture:
assyr1.jpg (35649 bytes)> protection of the Assyrian, Kurdish,
Turkoman, and other minorities of Northern Iraq while simultaneously
recognizing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq.
Despite early hopes for an inclusive and progressive democracy with
respect for all of the communities of Northern Iraq, the situation
rapidly deteriorated over the past few years Control of the area fell
into the hands of two competing Kurdish armed factions. Humanitarian
aid earmarked for al I the inhabitants of the region was completely
monopolized by these 2 armed factions and served to exacerbate
tensions.
The ensuing conflict left thousands dead and thousands more wounded.
Those people and communities not aligned with either<Picture:
raqa1.jpg (38477 bytes)> of the two Kurdish groups lived in fear and
intimidation.
Various international human rights organizations including Amnesty
International, Human Rights Watch as well as the United Nations and
US State Department have documented recorded human rights abuses
against all the communities in the North including the Assyrians,
Kurds, Turkoman, Arabs, and others.
Specific attacks against the Assyrian community have included
assassinations, kidnappings, land expropriations, and forced
conversion to Islam. One of the most notable killings involved
Francis Shabo, an Assyrian member of the Parliament of Northern Iraq.
Mr. Shabo�s role in the Parliament was the adjudication of cases of
land expropriation against the Assyrians. Most recently, on May 12,
1996 two<Picture: assyr3.jpg (31076 bytes)> unarmed Assyrians of the
Assyrian Democratic Movement were killed when they tried to stop an
armed Kurdish group from severely beating Assyrian students on
successive occasions. The reason for the repeated attacks against the
Assyrian students was that they resisted the Kurdification of their
educational curriculum and final examinations.
Thus, in Northern Iraq as well as elsewhere, the Assyrian identity is
once again under attack religiously, linguistically, and culturally.
Moreover, historically Assyrian lands and villages are being
confiscated often through the connivance or acquiescence of local
ruling personnel.
With a rapidly deteriorating situation in Northern Iraq, future
American and United Nations actions ought to secure the rights of all
of the people of Northern Iraq including the Assyrians. In the short-
term, the authority to distribute humanitarian aid ought<Picture:
niraq.jpg (33074 bytes)> not to be left in the hands of those who
have fostered an environment of conflict, violence, and anarchy. A
transitional civil authority ought to be established which is
independent of the warring factions and supported by United Nations
sanctioned military forces. Proceeds from UN Resolution 986 allowing
Iraq to sell oil for food that are earmarked for Northern Iraq ought
to be equitably distributed to individual communities on a
proportionate basis. The food and medicine from UN resolution 986 oil
sales ought not be channeled exclusively through the warring
factions. With Assyrians comprising 15% of the population of Northern
Iraq, 15% of the proceeds ought to be directly allocated to the
Assyrian community. Such funds will allow Assyrian and other
communities to rebuild their destroyed villages and redevelop
historically Assyrian lands.
In the final analysis, any solution for Northern Iraq needs to
address the rights of all of the communities with mutual dignity and
respect. In order to fully protect the Assyrian population and
identity, a safe haven and autonomous area needs to be carefully
delineated within the area of historically Assyrian villages. Such a
haven would best ensure the survival of the Assyrian identity vis a
vis language, religion, and culture preservation.
Since the integrity of Iraq is necessary for regional stability,
these guarantees necessarily ought to satisfy the United Nations
declared respect for the national sovereignty and integrity of Iraq.
Neighboring countries need to be assuaged that such a development
would contribute to regional stability rather than detract from it.
Moreover, the security and national interest of all the surrounding
countries including Iraq would be furthered with the development of a
progressive respect for human and civil rights of all minority
communities.
A<>E<>R
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
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A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled
one is truly vanquished. -Johann Christoph Schiller,
German Writer (1759-1805)
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It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that
prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell
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Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed
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In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
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