>From: Mark Clement <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: [pttp] IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 105 > >IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 105 >Monday, August 14 2000 > > >LATEST++++++++++++++++++LATEST++++++++++++++++++++ > >Moscow denies Russia plans to help Iraq make parts for ballistic missiles. >Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax > >Moscow, 14th August: Moscow has categorically denied information distributed >by the Western press stating that Russia is allegedly holding negotiations >with Baghdad on the construction of a plant for the production of key >components for ballistic missiles in Iraq. > >"It is complete nonsense," diplomatic sources told Interfax on Monday [14th >August]. > >Information about the alleged negotiations between Baghdad and some Russian >companies was published by the British 'Times' newspaper, which quoted >sources in Western intelligence services. > >According to intelligence services, initial talks on this matter were >started last year, when a high-ranking representative of the Iraqi Ministry >of Military Industrialization visited Russia, the newspaper says. > >During the last few meetings, Iraqi and Russian representatives talked about >the construction of a plant for the production of gyroscopes for long-range >ballistic missiles, 'The Times' reads. According to Western intelligence >services, it is planned to build the plant to the south of Baghdad and the >approximate value of the contract is 10m pound sterling, 'The Times' >reports. > >In case the deal is realized, which will be a violation of the arms embargo >laid on Iraq by the UN Security Council, it is supposed that Russian >engineers will take part in the construction and management of the plant and >that the equipment will be transported to Baghdad through Beirut. > >Diplomatic sources have told Interfax that an official denial of the British >newspaper's allegations by Moscow will follow. > > >US bombs Iraq. >IRAQ said US and British planes bombed a train station in southern Iraq >overnight, wounding a number of civilians in the second straight night of >raids. > >US warplanes hit two anti-aircraft sites in response to multiple attacks by >Iraqi anti-aircraft artillery on US and British planes in southern Iraq. > > >Iraq oil exports 2.03 million bpd in week to Aug 11-U.N. >NEW YORK, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Iraq exported 2.03 million barrels per day >(bpd) of crude oil in the week ended August 11, down from 2.12 million bpd >in the previous week, the United Nations said on Monday. > >"In the week ending 11 August 2000, Iraq exported 14.2 million barrels of >oil with an estimated value of $348 million," the U.N. office of the Iraq >programme said in a statement. The four week average for Iraqi crude exports >now stands at 2.16 million bpd. >The revenue from the beginning of the current phase eight (on June 9) is now >estimated around $2,906 million from the export of 121 million barrels, the >statement said. > >The sanctions committee last week approved a further three contracts, two >from Switzerland and one from the Russian Federation bringing the total >approved to 95 with a volume of 375 million barrels barrels comprising 224 >million Basrah Light and 151 million Kirkuk. > > >Western bombers hit back at Iraqi guns. >By Michael Theodoulou. >Nicosia: British Tornados and US military aircraft bombed targets in >southern Iraq on Saturday for a second successive night after a recent lull >(Michael Theodoulou writes). > >They struck at anti-aircraft artillery sites in response to multiple Iraqi >attacks, American officials said. Iraq said that the attacks, near Samawa, >175 miles south of Baghdad in the southern no-fly zone, were against >civilian targets. Two people were killed and 19 injured in Friday's strikes, >which Baghdad said hit a government warehouse storing food and other >material imported under the UN oil-for-food programme. > >There was no sign of Iraqi military units in the area, witnesses said. A >railway station and several homes were hit on Saturday and several people >injured, Baghdad said. >The Ministry of Defence doubted that there had been civilian casualties. > > >Saddam seeks Russian missile deal. >By Michael Evans. >IRAQ is secretly negotiating with Russian companies to set up a plant making >key components of ballistic missiles, Western intelligence sources have >disclosed. > >Having expelled United Nations arms inspectors, President Saddam Hussein >seems determined to develop a long-range missile facility and is counting on >Russian help. > >The latest meetings are believed to have focused on constructing a plant for >the production of gyroscopes - advanced navigation and guidance components >for long-range ballistic missiles. > >Under the UN agreement after the 1991 Gulf War, Saddam is allowed to develop >only short-range ballistic missiles. Intelligence reports say the proposed >factory is expected to be built south of Baghdad at a cost of �10 million >and may be completed by next year. > >If the deal were to go ahead, in breach of the UN arms embargo, Russian >engineers would be involved in building and running the plant and the >equipment would be shipped to Beirut before being transported to Baghdad. > >The Iraqi authority believed to be behind the deal is the Ministry for >Military Industry. Co-operation with the Russians is believed to have >started last year when a senior official from the Iraqi Military Industry >Ministry visited Russia. Further visits to Moscow by officials have since >been noted. Sultan Hashim Ahmad, the Iraqi Defence Minister, went to Moscow >in April. >Iraq has always turned to Russia as a primary source for its >ballistic-missile programme, although it maintains equipment-procurement >ties with other countries, including China and Ukraine. > >The main reason is that the technology Saddam wants originates from Russia >and his plan, according to intelligence sources, is to achieve complete >independence in the production of key components for the long-range >missiles. > >The Iraqi Military Industry Ministry is known to have set up a large network >of front companies to disguise procurement deals for projects forbidden >under the UN embargo. >The Times > >Allies pound Iraq. >BAGHDAD - A second straight day of allied air strikes has damaged a train >station and several homes in southern Iraq, the official Iraqi News Agency >reported yesterday. > >Injuries were reported in the strike, which came a day after Iraq said two >people were killed and 19 injured in an air raid on a food distribution >centre in the same area. > >The United States said it hit military sites on both days. >"The American administration and its evil ally, Britain, in clear >collaboration with the hireling rulers in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, have >committed another crime," INA said. > >It said the missiles were aimed at the Samawa train station and injured "a >number of citizens and inflicted damage to nearby houses". > >US and British planes had struck on Friday in Samawa, 270km south of >Baghdad, hitting the main food ration distribution centre used to store food >allowed under the UN oil-for-food deal, Iraqi officials said. > >The US Central Command confirmed strikes on Friday night, saying allied >aircraft targeted two Iraqi air defence sites after anti-aircraft artillery >fired on planes patrolling the zone. > >The command said coalition planes had struck command posts and a >surface-to-air missile site. > >It made no mention of Iraq's claims of two dead, but said allied air strikes >"do not target civilian populations or infrastructure" and seek to avoid >civilian casualties. > >Iraq has criticised Sau di Arabia and Kuwait, along with Turkey, for >allowing American and British allies to use their bases for daily flights >over the no-fly zones of northern and southern Iraq. > >Iraq said allied air strikes had killed more than 300 citizens and injured >at least 900 others - figures disputed by the US. > > >: Iraq asks UN to intervene to stop Kuwaiti "acts of piracy". >Text of report by Iraqi radio on 14th August > >Iraq has asked the UN secretary-general to intervene with the Kuwaiti regime >to stop the aggressive behaviour and provocative actions carried out by this >regime in Iraqi territorial waters. > >In a protest message from Iraq's permanent representative to the United >Nations to UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan, Iraq said that on 19th July >2000, Kuwaiti naval forces carried out acts of piracy in Iraqi territorial >waters when they attacked a number of vessels belonging to UAE citizens. >These forces opened fire on a boat called Al-Ta'awun, registered as No 5,007 >in Basra. Several bullets hit the boat causing material damage. > >The message said the Kuwaiti forces of piracy also attacked the UAE >motorboat, Al-Qannas, with seven Indians on board; the Indian vessel, >Al-Barari, with 12 Indians on board; and the Indian motorboat Barakatallah, >with 12 Indians on board. > >In his message, the Iraqi permanent representative emphasized that the entry >to our territorial waters by the Kuwaiti authorities and the aggression >launched against the boats represent a blatant violation of the sanctity and >sovereignty of Iraq. These actions are considered flagrant aggression that >openly violates the UN Charter and the simplest standards for dealing with >others and the principles of international law. > > >: Iraq Accuses U.S., Britain of Shelving Health Contracts. >BAGHDAD, August 14 (Xinhua) - The United States and British representatives >at the United Nations Sanctions Committee have put on hold Iraqi medical >contracts worth over 370 million U.S. dollars, Iraqi Health Minister Umid >Medhat Mubarak said here on Monday. > >In a statement, the health minister said that during the past seven phases >of the U.N. oil-for-food program, Iraq concluded medical contracts with >foreign countries worth over 1.24 billion dollars, but only 870 million >dollars worth of contracts were approved by the U.N. Sanctions Committee. > >The U.S. and British delegates at the U.N. Sanctions Committee were behind >the nonfulfillment of contracts "to induce the Iraqi people as much losses >as possible," Mubarak said. >The policy of suspending medical contracts by the U.S. and Britain has >aggravated the suffering of the Iraqi people, who have reeled from the >10-year-old U.N. sanctions. > >Iraq has claimed that a total of 1,989 contracts Iraq signed with foreign >countries during the past seven phases of the U.N. oil-for-food program were >put on hold. >Baghdad has frequently accused the U.S. and Britain of blocking Iraq's vital >imports to impede the implementation of the U.N. humanitarian program. > >Since the program was launched in late 1996, the U.S. and Britain have >blocked over 3 billion dollars worth of contracts that needed by Iraq to buy >daily necessities, oil equipment and spare parts, according to U.N. >statistics released last April. >Iraq has been under crippling U.N. sanctions ever since its 1990 invasion of >Kuwait, but the U.N. oil-for-food accord allows Baghdad to export crude in >return for U.N.-supervised imports of food, medicine and other humanitarian >supplies. > > >Moscow slams latest US, UK air raids in Iraq. >Reports of the latest U.S. and British air raids on targets in southern Iraq >have sparked a "sharply negative reaction" in Moscow, the Russian news >agency Interfax reported on Monday. > >"Moscow is convinced that such forceful actions sidestepping the UN Security >Council resolutions only complicate the situation surrounding Iraq and >obstruct the search for ways to settle it," Russian diplomatic sources told >Interfax news agency. > >Russia "insists" that the US and British air forces put an end to their >raids on Iraqi territory and interference in Iraq's internal affairs be >brought to an end, the sources said. > >"It is obvious that conversation with Baghdad on its resumption of >cooperation with the UN on the basis of resolution 1244, in particular, on >the admission of international inspectors to the Iraqi territory cannot be >held as bombs explode," the sources said. > >"To unblock the situation surrounding Iraq, it is necessary not only to urge >Baghdad to live up to the UN Security Council resolutions, but also to >create favourable external conditions for this." > > >UN sanctions turn Iraq into land of scavengers sift through scraps of the >past. >By Malcolm Ruth in Baghdad. >The slender young man and a dozen others stand waist-deep every morning in >the filthy water, panning for gold in a nation that has been reduced by >sanctions to creative coping. > >"This is very hard work but I like to do it," said Mr Kanimi, who sells his >cache to a jeweller for about 50p a day. "In the winter, I find work in a >restaurant, but this pays better." > >The gold these young men are panning for is not a natural feature of the >Tigris. Long ago, Baghdad's jewellers were so wealthy that when they cleaned >out their shops, small links and gold filings were simply swept into the >river. > >Now Iraq is so poor that men are salvaging the detritus of the past to make >ends meet. > >A decade after the United Nations imposed a sweeping economic embargo on the >oil-rich nation, ordinary Iraqis are increasingly finding strength in their >history as they get on with their daily lives. > >"We are an ancient civilisation, and 10 years of sanctions mean nothing >compared with that," said Qassem, an artist and owner of the Halawi Gallery >and cafe in Baghdad. > >"We invented the alphabet, the wheel, art and poetry. What can the American >government do to a people like this?" >At first glance, Baghdad appears to be a thriving city of construction, >congestion and commerce. Cars choke well-maintained roads. Sprawling >mosques, grand government buildings and luxurious private homes are taking >shape, despite a shattered economy. Jewellery store windows are filled with >gold and there is no sign of the bombs that pounded the city during the Gulf >war. But it does not take long to realise the impact on society of the trade >embargo. > >Children beg in the souk and sell newspapers or incense on the street. >Periodic power cuts mean sudden darkness and stifling heat amid an average >temperature this summer of 49C (120C). Inflation is so rampant that many >people have taken second jobs. >Rezak Ahmed drives a taxi by day and works in a pharmacy at night, barely >able to provide for his 10 children, aged between four and eighteen. "I work >all day and night and then I worry when I'm asleep," said Mr Ahmed, over a >cup of sugared tea. >Even nature seems to be conspiring against the people of Iraq. The summer >heat is as omnipresent as President Saddam Hussein, whose portrait dominates >every street corner. A devastating drought is entering its third year - > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
