>crippling impact on daily life has been documented by independent >international agencies, were linked to Iraqi promises to destroy all >prohibited weapons of mass destruction. The embargo has remained because >United Nations-appointed inspectors have not certified that Iraq is free of >biological, chemical or nuclear weapons and certain missile systems or is >not attempting to re-create them. If to impose such blanket sanctions was >unjustified in the first place - getting the approval of the U.N. Security >Council for this was easy in the sterile ideological climate of the >immediate post-Cold War years - their continuance for an interminably long >ten years has become totally unjustifiable. Russia, China and France, among >the leading powers, have come out openly for the lifting of the sanctions, >with only the U.S. and Britain attempting to justify them. > >Washington's explanation for the latest bombing raids by warplanes has a >familiar ring: provocation by Iraqi anti-aircraft batteries that are said to >have fired at American and British planes enforcing U.S. imposed "no-flight" >zones, themselves an insult to Iraqi sovereignty. Baghdad does not recognise >these zones over which it is prohibited from flying its planes. These zones >were imposed when the Western grand alliance that fought the Gulf war took >upon itself the task of "protecting" Iraq's Kurdish and sectarian minorities >in the northern and southern regions from attacks by Iraqi Government >forces. Protestations by other countries, including some of Washington's >allies, yielded the oil-for-food programme which has helped ease the >country's difficulties in procuring and paying for urgent civilian needs. > >The programme, whose extension every six months has itself witnessed >shameful display of callousness to the plight of the suffering civilians, >allows Iraq to sell a fixed quantity of oil to pay for importing essentials >such as medicines and food. What has really thwarted a normalisation of the >situation for Iraq is the issue of international inspection of its >compliance with the demand for disarmament, the elimination of weapons of >mass destruction. > >The weekend's bombing raids may perhaps signal a hardening of the American >stand towards the Saddam Hussein regime in this Presidential election year >which features a member of the George Bush dynasty and has on it a leading >member of the team that waged the war to drive out the occupying Iraqi >forces from Kuwait. It is difficult to reject the argument that the bombing >was a response to the visit of the first Head of State to Baghdad since the >Gulf War. That the visitor to defy the Washington-sponsored ban on contacts >with the regime happens to be from the backyard of the U.S. should only have >added to Washington's embarrassment. The Venezuelan President, Mr. Hugo >Chavez's mission to Iraq obviously related to his country's responsibilities >as head of the oil cartel, the OPEC, but by rolling out the red carpet for >him Mr. Saddam Hussein was able to proclaim to the world that he is not >friendless. But he and his people need much more support from the >international community if they are to end the agony of the indefensible >sanctions. > >Source: THE HINDU 16/08/2000 > >Minister urges countries "harmed" by sanctions to have trade ties. >Source: Republic of Iraq Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 1400 gmt 14 Aug 00 >Text of report by Iraqi radio on 14th August >Trade Minister Dr Muhammad Mahdi Salih said Iraq's trade transactions with >the world have greatly expanded over the past few years. In statements to >the Iraqi News Agency and the Iraqi Satellite Channel, the minister called >on countries that have suffered losses as a result of the continued >aggression and siege on Iraq to utilize article 50 of the UN Charter, which >permits countries harmed by the sanctions to have trade ties with Iraq. >Minister Salih said the US-UK attacks on food and construction equipment >warehouses in Al-Muthanna Governorate yesterday and the day before it [12th >and 13th August] confirm the Saudi and Kuwaiti hostile policies against >Iraq. He added that the ministry took quick measures to ensure the continued >flow of food stuffs to the citizens, especially after the destruction of >Al-Samawah train station and supplies warehouses in Al-Muthanna Governorate. > > >Iraq Earns Another 348 Million U.S. Dollars in U.N. Oil-For-Food Program. >UNITED NATIONS, August 15 (Xinhua) - Iraq exported some 348 million U.S. >dollars worth of oil last week, the United Nations Office of the Iraq >Program said on Tuesday. >The office, which administers the U.N. humanitarian scheme, said Iraq had >earned an estimated 2.9 billion dollars by exporting 121 million barrels of >oil at market value since the current phase of the oil-for-food program >began on June 9, 2000. >Meanwhile, the United Nations Sanctions Committee monitoring the sanctions >against Iraq approved three more contracts last week for the sale of Iraqi >oil, bringing the total number of approved contracts to 95 with a volume of >over 375 million barrels, according to the office. > > >Kuwaiti navy reportedly fires on, detains Iraqi boats. >Text of report by Iraqi radio on 15th August > >In confirmation of the treasonous role played by the Kuwaiti regime, to >further hurt our lofty people and damage their property and in >implementation of the orders of its American masters, this treasonous regime >has committed a new hostile action. A squad of the Kuwaiti navy vessels >committed an act of piracy in Iraq's territorial waters on 18th-19th July >2000. It intercepted several launches and boats, opened fire on them and >held them in violation of international norms and the international maritime >law. > >This new act of piracy is part of a series of aggressive actions the >henchmen of the Kuwaiti regime are committing. They are encroaching on the >sanctity of our territorial waters in coordination with the Saudi regime. >Iraq has asked the UN secretary-general to intercede with the Kuwaiti regime >to put a stop to its aggressive practices and provocative actions in Iraq's >territorial waters. > > > >Mariam Appeal to launch Iraq International >Work Brigades > >The London based Mariam Appeal recently announced their plans to form >monthly international work brigades who will help build a friendship village >in Iraq beginning May 2001. Mr Stuart Halford the Director of the Mariam >Appeal told ISM that the monthly work brigades will under the supervision of >Iraqi tradesmen and engineers engage in "reconciliation through >reconstruction" in an original form of international solidarity. > >Brigadiers will be in Iraq for exactly one month at a time from May until >October 2001 and every year thereafter. They will have a programme of >construction work in the mornings, lectures and discussions in the >afternoons and social and cultural activities in the evenings. Participants >should be able to speak either English or Arabic (there will be a translator >always on hand) and should be aged 18 and over. And of course they will need >to be fit enough for light construction duties and the heat of the Iraqi >summer. Brigadiers will be asked to make a contribution towards travel to >Amman. All other costs will be met by the Mariam Appeal which will fundraise >for that purpose. > >For further information please contact Stuart Halford at the Mariam >Appeal on [EMAIL PROTECTED] or by telephone on (0044) 207 403 5200 > > > >PLEASE NOTE THE MARIAM APPEAL HAS MOVED. THE NEW CONTACT NUMBERS ARE: >TEL: +44 (0)20 7403 5200 >FAX: +44 (0)20 7 403 3823 > > > > > > >EVEN MORE+++++++++ > > >Copyright 2000 Associated Press >AP Online >August 16, 2000; Wednesday 3:26 AM, Eastern Time > >SECTION: International news >LENGTH: 802 words >HEADLINE: Iraqi Weapons Issue Under Wraps >BYLINE: GEORGE GEDDA >DATELINE: WASHINGTON >BODY: > There was a time when Iraqi weapons of mass destruction topped the list >of Clinton administration foreign policy problems, and officials were all >too willing talk about it. In public. At length. > >That issue has been hidden from view for some time now, and it was no >surprise to analysts Monday night when President Clinton saw fit to talk >about Nigeria and Colombia in his speech to the Democratic National >Convention but failed to mention Iraq. > >At one point, early in his second term after U.N. inspectors were expelled >by President Saddam Hussein, Clinton said: ''It is essential that those >inspectors go back to work. The safety of the children of the world depends >upon it.'' > >But the weapons inspectors have not been allowed in Iraq for 20 months, and >the Iraqis are saying they won't cooperate with a revised inspection program >that should be ready in the next two to three weeks. None of this has >elicited a stern U.S. response, although officials say the issue is getting >a lot of attention, quietly, without publicity. > >When Iraq refused the last time to allow the inspectors' return in December >1998, the United States and Britain bombed military sites in Iraq for three >days to punish Saddam for his defiance. > >Just what the Iraqis have been up to since then is a mystery. The >administration won't say to what extent the Iraqis have been trying to >reconstitute weapons of mass destruction. Many of these armaments were >destroyed by the 1998 bombings or by U.N. sleuths who sought out the weapons >for seven years before their expulsion. > >There are some aspects of the Iraqi situation that the administration is >pleased to talk about. They include Iraqi human rights violations; the 600 >Kuwaiti prisoners Iraq took during the 1990-91 Gulf crisis and has refused >to release; the numerous palaces Saddam has built for himself despite >widespread deprivation of the Iraqi people. > >The administration also contends Iraqi ''obstructionism'' has prevented the >Iraqis from reaping the full benefit of a U.N.-sponsored humanitarian aid >program for Iraq. > >State Department briefers talked about Iraq for an hour on Aug. 2, the 10th >anniversary of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. In that session, they never >mentioned the administration's thinking about the status of Iraq's military >arsenal since Saddam banished the inspectors. > >The administration's rationale seems to be that public discussion of this >issue could produce demands for a tough response. By avoiding the subject, >the administration is able to keep its options open, which is no small >consideration in an election year. > >In addition, there is no international consensus for renewing military >hostilities against Iraq. France, China and Russia, all permanent members of >the Security Council, are decidedly opposed. Last December, none supported >the replacement of UNSCOM, the previous U.N. inspection system, with a new >program known in diplojargon as UNMOVIC. But rather than veto, all three >abstained; so UNMOVIC is coming into being with a weak international >mandate. > >Experts are divided over what Saddam has been up to. A worst-case scenario >has been set forth by Richard Butler, a former UNSCOM chairman. > >''So you thought Saddam Hussein was out of your life?'' Butler, an >Australian, asked in an opinion piece last month. ''Sorry he's back, >manufacturing weapons of mass destruction.'' He says Saddam is a global >threat. > >More optimistic is Swede Rolf Ekeus, Butler's predecessor at UNSCOM. ''I >would say that we felt that in all areas we have eliminated Iraq's >capabilities fundamentally,'' Ekeus said in a speech at Harvard in May. > >But rather than have U.N. inspectors try to track down whatever weapons >remain, Ekeus believes the focus should be on preventing Iraq from engaging >in a new weapons buildup. > >Also on the optimistic side is Hans Blix, another Swede chosen to head >UNMOVIC. In an interview with the magazine Arms Control Today, Blix said he >did not believe Iraq has been trying to rearm. He said there is no >substantiation of media reports to the contrary. > >Meanwhile, the Iraqis appear unchastened by the pounding they took from the >U.S.-led coalition that liberated Kuwait from Iraqi occupiers a decade ago. > >Al-Jumhouriya, an Iraqi daily that speaks for the regime, said recently that >Kuwait was directly responsible for the continuing United Nations sanctions. > > >''Any one who kills any Iraqi should not sleep, let alone those (the Kuwaiti >rulers) who have killed more than 1 million Iraqi children and adults,'' the >newspaper said. > >EDITOR'S NOTE George Gedda has covered foreign affairs for The Associated >Press since 1968. > >On the Net: State Department: >http://www.state.gov/www/regions/nea/index.html >Library of Congress country notes: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html > > > > >tel: +44 (0)20 78725451 >fax: +44 (0)20 77532731 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.mariamappeal.com > > > > > > >--------------------------------------------------------------------<e|- >Need a credit card? 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