IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 176
Tuesday, December 26, 2000
A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND EID TO ALL SUBSCRIBERS+++++++++
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Christmas...Eid....The New Year.... IT'S FRESH FROM ITS INTERNATIONAL
PREMIERE.......
VHS copies of the film 'Big Ben to Baghdad', the epic account of last year's
journey in a 37-year-old Routemaster bus from London to the capital of
sanctions-engulfed Iraq. The 65-minute-film costs �9.99 from the Mariam
Appeal, 13a Borough High Street, London+++++++++++++++++LATEST
Saddam receives Muslim holiday greeting from Iran's Khatami
>From AFP ENGLISH, December 26th, 2000
BAGHDAD, Dec 26 (AFP) - Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has received a
message of greetings from his Iranian counterpart, Mohammad Khatami, on the
eve of the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr, the official news agency INA
reported Tuesday.
The Iranian president wished for "the unity of all the world's Muslims" in
his message to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, it said.
Iraq and Iran, which fought a 1980-1988 war that ended in a UN-brokered
ceasefire but without a formal peace treaty, have since taken steps to
improve
relations.
Key stumbling blocks remain their support for each other's opposition groups
and the release of prisoners from the conflict.
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Iran airspace not open to Iraq: paper
TEHRAN, Dec 26 (AFP) - Iran is still keeping its airspace closed to Iraqi
planes in line with the 10-year-old UN air embargo despite claims to the
contrary by Iranian officials, a conservative paper reported Tuesday.
The Qods daily said the decision to keep upholding the embargo was made
after "protests from the foreign ministry and the intervention of the
president's office."
The transport ministry had suggested last week that Iraqi planes would be
welcome to use Iranian airspace, as more and more countries have begun
flouting the controversial embargo.
Iran and Iraq, whose bitter 1980-1988 war left hundreds of thousands dead on
both sides, have been working in recent months to improve relations.
More than 80 flights have landed in Baghdad since Saddam International
airport reopened four months ago, as Arab countries in particular have
queued up to offer their support to the Iraqi regime.
In late November, Iraq's Deputy Prime Minister Tareq Aziz flew to Damascus,
becoming the first Iraqi official to fly out of Baghdad since the embargo
was put in place in 1990.
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Saddam calls on Christians, Muslims to fight against Israel
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ In a Christmas letter published Monday on the front
pages of all Baghdad newspapers, President Saddam Hussein called on
Christians and Muslims of the world to rise up against Israel and the
``Zionist conspiracy.'' In his traditional Christmas letter, Saddam praised
Christians and other Iraqis for standing up to conspiracies through which
``the United States, Britain and Zionism ... have tried to bend Iraqis'
will, bring them to their knees and master their independent decision.'' The
president called on Christians and Muslims everywhere to take ``the path of
jihad (holy war), without which we cannot attain our aspirations of
establishing right, justice and peace and delivering humanity from the evils
of aggressors, criminal killers.'' ``The Zionist conspiracy aims at
Judaizing (Jerusalem) and other areas of Palestine and annihilating its
indigenous population, Muslims and Christians, with the backing of
America,'' al-Thawra daily quoted Saddam as saying in his letter.
Iraq opposes peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians and
those signed with neighboring countries.
Since Israeli-Palestinian clashes began in late September, more than 340
people, most Palestinians, have died and thousands have been injured.
Earlier this month Iraq pledged to allocate dlrs 881 million worth of oil
revenues to support the Palestinian uprising.
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Hussein's Son Debuts in Iraq Parliament Mideast: Leader's eldest makes his
first appearance since his election. He calls for more democracy, criticizes
U.S.
>From LOS ANGELES TIMES, December 25th, 2000
Saddam Hussein's eldest son, Odai, made his first appearance Sunday in
Iraq's National Assembly since his election in March and urged fellow
legislators to take a more active role in government.
No reason has been given for Odai's absence from the weekly parliamentary
sessions since the new parliament convened in April, and he did not offer an
explanation. Rumors of ill health have arisen periodically since Odai was
seriously injured in a 1996 assassination attempt, but he appeared strong as
he strode into the hall.
"We need to have a more active parliament to meet the needs of the people,"
he told the assembly, standing to speak in a traditional black robe and a
white head scarf. After the session, Odai told reporters Iraq should become
more democratic.
"We are not Americans. . . . We are Arabs with our old traditions and
culture, but this fact should not stop us from allowing democracy in the
country," he said. "It is time we open up a little more, within our
country's traditions and culture, in a way that serves the whole society."
But he still criticized the United States, its Vice President-elect Dick
Cheney and U.S. secretary of State nominee Colin Powell.
Cheney and Powell are "well-known to the Iraqi people," he said.
Cheney was defense secretary for President-elect George W. Bush's father
during the 1991 Persian Gulf War, and Powell was chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff. Together, they orchestrated the U.S.-led coalition that
pushed Iraq out of Kuwait.
Iraq's economy has been devastated by U.N. sanctions imposed shortly before
the war, and American and British warplanes continue to patrol Iraqi skies.
The country's National Assembly is dominated by the ruling Baath Party,
which controls 165 seats and has alliances with 55 other lawmakers. There
are also 30 lawmakers appointed by Saddam Hussein.
Real power, however, is held by the Revolutionary Command Council headed by
Saddam Hussein.
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Iraq Intensifies Anti-Embargo Efforts in Millennium End
BAGHDAD (Nov. 25) XINHUA - While the lifting of the crippling U.N. embargo
still nowhere near in sight, Iraq has nevertheless made big gains in 2000 in
breaking the political and diplomatic isolation wreathing it in the past
decade.
In a nationally-televised speech at the beginning of this year, Iraqi
President Saddam Hussein, his grip on power not a bit slackened by the
pungent sanctions, told his people to " continue on the path" of defiance as
"the embargo has already started to crumble."
Strengthens Trade Ties With Outside The Saddam regime has all but
relinquished the hope of obtaining the lifting of the sanctions as the
United States and Britain, both condemned by Baghdad as "forces of evil and
vice who only betray and aggress," never show signs of softening their
stance on the sanctions.
In a bid to shrug off the embargo and break out of economic and political
isolation, Iraq has launched an offensive to strengthen relations,
especially trade ties, with foreign countries to rally support for its
defiance.
World trade officials and businessmen have begun flocking to the oil-rich
but sanction-torn country to try to grab a slice of its lucrative
reconstruction market, which totals some 200 billion U.S. dollars.
Thirteen ministers from Arab and other countries, as well as a record number
of 1,554 companies from 45 countries, participated in the November 1-10
Baghdad International Fair, the largest ever since 1990.
It is noteworthy that for the first time since the 1991 Gulf War, Saudi
Arabia and Britain, both staunch allies of the U.S., were present at the
fair.
Iraq has greatly improved its trade relations with other Arab countries
through frequent exchanges of visits and signing of contracts.
Egypt, for example, has heaped a lot through expanding trade with Iraq.
Nearly 100 Egyptian companies attended an exhibition held in Baghdad in
April and sealed contracts worth 100 million dollars. Egypt has so far won
contracts worth over 1 billion dollars since the U.N. oil-for-food program
took effect about four years ago.
The program, launched in late 1996, allows Iraq to sell crude in return for
U.N.-supervised imports of food, medicine and other humanitarian goods to
alleviate the impacts of the embargo.
Iraq has also strengthened ties with other European, Asian and African trade
partners.
Russia, a key ally and the most important trade partner of Iraq, has
frequently sent governmental, parliamentary and business delegations to Iraq
to guarantee its biggest share in the Iraqi market.
Scores Diplomatic Breakthrough With the promotion of trade relations with
Arab and other countries, Iraq has also improved political ties with other
countries and is gradually walking out of political isolation.
Baghdad scored a big diplomatic gain in August when Venezuelan President
Hugo Chaves, brushing aside pressures and criticism from Washington, became
the first elected head of state to visit Iraq since 1991.
Following his lead, Jordanian Prime Minister Ali Abu Ragheb flew to Baghdad
on November 1 for a three-day state visit, the first by a head of government
from the Arab world in nearly 10 years.
After being ostracized by the Arab world for its invasion and occupation of
tiny Arab Gulf neighbor Kuwait 10 years ago, Iraq has also mended fences
with a majority of Arab countries.
Representing President Saddam Hussein, Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of the
Iraqi ruling Revolutionary Command Council, attended the Arab summit held in
Cairo, Egypt on October 21-22 at the invitation of Egyptian President Hosni
Mubarak.
On April 20, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reopened its embassy in Baghdad,
marking a full recovery of their bilateral relations.
So far, four of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states -- the
UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar -- have resumed diplomatic ties with Iraq after
a 10-year break. The GCC also groups Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
There was also rapprochement between Iraq and its historical foes like Syria
and Iran.
In the wake of the visit to Syria by Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said
Al-Sahaf in June, Iraqi Trade Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah arrived in
Damascus in August to attend the meetings of the Syrian-Iraqi Joint
Ministerial Committee, the first over the past 20 years.
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi arrived in Baghdad by air on October
13, becoming the first Iranian foreign minister to visit Iraq since November
1990.
Iraq's efforts to broaden the circle of countries sympathetic to its bid to
break the embargo have paid off. More diplomats have returned to Baghdad,
more countries, including Russia, China and France, three permanent members
of the U.N. Security Council, have raised voice to call for lifting the
embargo on Iraq.
Challenges Air Embargo As a fresh move to challenge the embargo, Iraq on
August 17 reopened the Saddam International Airport after 10 years of
closure.
Baghdad maintains that there was no U.N. resolution banning civil flights to
and from Iraq, and the decade-old air embargo was a unilateral imposition by
the U.S. and Britain.
In an even bolder move of defiance, Iraq on November 5 reopened domestic
flights connecting Baghdad with Mosul in the north and Basra in the south,
both located in the northern and southern no- fly zones imposed on Iraq by
the U.S.-led Western allies after the Gulf War.
Abdul Karim Hamam, director-general of the Iraqi Airways, has announced that
the next step is to resume international flights.
Meanwhile, in response to Iraq's repeated calls, Russia took the lead in
sending a plane to Iraq just two days after the reopening of the Baghdad
international airport, to underscore its backing of Iraq's battling against
the embargo. France flew a plane from Paris to Baghdad one month later.
So far, more than 40 planes, most of them from Arab countries, have landed
at the international airport since its reopening, and the number of
countries sending planes to Iraq keeps growing.
Under pressure from the rising international demand for canceling the air
embargo, the U.S. and its allies could do little to stop planes flying to
Iraq as well as Russia's resumption of regular civil flights from Moscow to
Baghdad on October 27.
Confronts U.N. on Arms Inspections Iraq has rejected the U.N. Resolution
1284 ever since it was passed in December last year, claiming it was "not
practical, not realistic and cannot be implemented."
The resolution, destined for the return of arms inspectors who have been out
of the country since December 1998, established the U.N. Monitoring,
Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) to replace the defunct U.N.
Special Commission (UNSCOM) charged with dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass
destruction.
It offers to suspend the embargo for renewable 120-day periods if Iraq
complies fully with the new U.N. arms inspection body.
Iraq, however, has demanded the total lifting of the embargo as the
precondition for any cooperation with the U.N., and senior Iraqi officials,
including Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Vice Prime Minister Tareq Aziz
and Foreign Minister Mohammad Said Al- Sahaf, have repeatedly voiced Iraq's
rejection of the resolution.
Consequently, the arms inspectors were barred from entering Iraq and the
UNMOVIC has largely been nominal since it was founded.
Uphill Struggle Still Ahead Though there have been cracks in the embargo
regime, few believe the embargo will end soon. Due to the vehement
opposition and powerful pressure from the U.S. and its Western allies, Iraq
still faces a lengthy and uphill struggle in breaking the sweeping embargo.
Analysts believe that whatever the outcome of the U.S. presidential election
is, little change is likely in Washington's tough policy toward Iraq, a
combination of economic embargo and military containment.
Republican George W. Bush, who has been elected the 43rd president of the
U.S., had, like his less-fortunate Democratic competitor Al Gore, beaten
anti-Saddam drums during the election campaign.
Bush, whose father was the U.S. president during the Gulf War, has promised
stronger support for the Iraqi National Council (INC), a grouping of
anti-Saddam cliques.
Moreover, for all the political and diplomatic gains, Baghdad still needs
U.N. approval before it can use its oil revenues, which have been deposited
in a U.N.-supervised account, to buy its required goods.
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Syria, Iraq set to seal accord on sharing Euphrates waters
BAGHDAD, Dec 25 (AFP) - Syrian Irrigation Minister Taha al-Atrash is
expected in Iraq soon to seal an accord on sharing the waters of the
Euphrates river, a newspaper said Monday.
Iraq's Irrigation Minister Mahmoud Diab al-Ahmad, quoted in Nabd al-Shabab,
said the two neighbours had reached an agreement that he was to finalise in
Baghdad with his Syrian counterpart.
A date was not given for the visit.
But efforts to reach a three-way deal with Turkey, where the Euphrates
originates, were not making headway because of Ankara's "intransigence," the
Iraqi minister said.
Ankara rejects charges from Baghdad and Damascus that it is monopolising the
Euphrates and Tigris by building more than 20 dams. Both rivers rise in
Turkish mountains and join together in southern Iraq before flowing into the
Gulf.
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Chinese delegation concerned over Iraq situation.
DUBAI, December 25 (Itar-Tass) - China's delegation has returned from its
visit to Iraq concerned over the humanitarian situation there.
The delegation was led by Ismail Muhammed, counselor to the premier of the
Chinese State Council. The delegation called for the lifting of the UN
sanctions against Iraq to relieve the hardship of its people.
Iraq and China have signed a cooperation accord, in particular in the health
field, which is to expand medical services to the Iraqi population suffering
from the economic blockade and the UN sanctions.
Motivation of the two countries for broader trade and economic contacts was
stated at Iraqi-Chinese meetings in Baghdad. An accord has been made on
holding a meeting of a joint committee for cooperation soon.
According to the Iraqi news agency, China is Iraq's third largest trade
partner, with the worth of bilateral deals standing over two billion
dollars. The Chinese delegation's leader passed to Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein a personal letter from Chinese Chairman Jiang Zemin.
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Alexander Lukashenko sends message to Saddam Hussein.
ABU-DHABI, December 25 (Itar-Tass) - Visiting First deputy chief of the
administration of the Belarussian president Vladimir Zametalin has brought a
message to Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein from Belarussian President Alexander
Lukashenko, which pertains to bilateral relations, the international
situation and the situation in the Middle East.
In return, Saddam Hussein has invited Lukashenko to pay an official visit of
friendship to Iraq.
On Sunday, Vladimir Zametalin held talks with Iraqi Agriculture Minister
Abdel Illah Hamid to discuss ways of broadening cooperation between Belarus
and Iraq in the agrarian- industrial sector. Belarus has promised technical
assistance, delivering agricultural machinery to Iraq.
The Belarussian envoy also had talks with Iraqi Vice-premier Tareq Aziz,
Foreign Minister Mohhamad al-Sahhaf and Trade Minister Mohhamed Mahdi Saleh.
An agreement has been reached on opening direct air service between Minsk
and Baghdad.
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John Hunter's column: Niall stands up for dying Iraqi children
>From SUNDAY MIRROR, December 24th, 2000
John Hunter
XMAS congrats to the one MEP I consider deserves them - Niall Andrews.
Last week, when General Colin Powell, Bush's US
Secretary-of-State-designate, promised "to breath new life into sanctions
against Iraq", Andrews, who has waged an unprofitable campaign against
punitive UN sanctions, pointed out that 5,000 - repeat 5,000 - Iraqi
children die every month because of lack of food and medicine, blocked by
our UN while tyrant Sadaam Hussein flourishes.
The Iraqi Health Ministry claims that more than 10,000 people, mostly young
children, died in September because of shortages. Mind you, they're probably
biased, but then wasn't that what our Bloody Sunday relatives were accused
of thirty-odd years ago?
One thing is certain - Santa doesn't have a magic carpet to Baghdad any
more.
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INCREASED OIL PRODUCTION
>From IPR MIDDLE EAST NEWS, December 24th, 2000
Al-Wifaq newspaper quotes Iraqi Energy Ministry representative Ta Hamud, who
in mid-May 2000 announced Iraq's intention of increasing its daily oil
production to 3.5 million barrels towards the end of the year. The newspaper
quotes Iraqi Minister of Energy Amer Mahmud Rashid, who said that the
Government had prepared a plan for increasing oil production as part of the
U.N.'s "Oil for Food" Agreement.
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Saddam's son Uday says Iraq heading formultiparty system
BAGHDAD, Dec. 25 (Kyodo) _ By: Muhieddin Rashad Uday Saddam Hussein, the
35-year-old son of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, said Sunday that Iraq is
heading toward a multiparty system and more political openness.
''Surely, Iraq is marching on the course of a new stage, after the nation
achieved full consciousness and preparedness for that.
Personally, I believe it is high time for (political) openness in a more
expansive manner,'' he told reporters after his first attendance at a
session of the National Assembly.
But he said that openness does not ''of course mean untraditional and
abnormal openness. It is rather (meant to be) an openness that would cope
with the aspirations, traditions and tribal roots of our people in a manner
achieving the aspired goals serving all.'' Iraq has been governed by a
one-party system since the ruling Baath Party seized power in a 1968 coup.
Uday recalled that in an address back in 1991 President Hussein declared the
country's intention to implement a multiparty system.
''Years that followed were difficult, and we were under difficult conditions
that prevented us from achieving that,'' he said.
He won a landslide victory in his constituency in Baghdad during the March
parliamentary elections but has never attended the assembly before.
Uday has been a member of the Baath Party, led by his father, since 1975.
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Vigil against sanctions on Iraq
>From The Irish Times December 23rd, 2000
Opponents of sanctions on Iraq are holding a vigil at the US embassy on
Christmas Day as an "act of solidarity" with the Iraqi people. The vigil,
which takes place between noon and 1 p.m., is organised by AfrI and the
Campaign to End Iraq Sanctions.
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Saddam condemns U.N. Security Council members for inaction
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ President Saddam Hussein told a visiting Chinese
delegation Saturday that his country continues to suffer due to the inaction
of the U.N. Security Council, state-run television said.
Speaking to a delegation led by Chinese Cabinet official Ismail Amat, Saddam
criticized what he called violations by the United States and Britain of
Security Council resolutions.
``The Iraqi people are facing real difficulties and continuous conspiracy
from America and Britain when they bomb northern and southern Iraq on a
daily basis,'' television quoted Saddam as telling his guests.
``This fact tells us the level the Security Council has reached, watching
two of its members violate its resolution and doing nothing. ... How can
they demand others to implement the same council's resolutions?'' Saddam
said.
He asked his guests to convey his message to Chinese President Jiang Zemin.
China is one of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.
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U.S., BRITS HIT IRAQI TARGETS
>From ORLANDO SENTINEL, December 23rd, 2000
COLUMN: World News to Note BAGHDAD, Iraq -- U.S. and British warplanes
struck targets in southern Iraq on Friday, and Iraqi officials said the
attack killed one person and injured two others. The U.S. Central Command
headquarters said in a statement that the warplanes, patrolling the no-fly
zone in southern Iraq, attacked a radar system and anti-aircraft sites with
precision-guided weapons. The command, based in Tampa, had no report of
casualties and was assessing the damage.
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Iraq accelerates efforts to open rail link to Turkey and Iran
>From TURKISH DAILY NEWS, December 23rd, 2000
Iraqi newspaper says the country is planning to open a rail link to Turkey
and Iran. Iraq and Syria resumed rail services in August, 19 years after
they were cut.
Iraq is planning to open a rail link to Turkey and Iran, an Iraqi newspaper
reported on Thursday.
"Negotiations are being held with Turkey and Iran to start a rail service to
transport passengers and goods," the daily al-Qadissiya quoted Falah Hassan,
acting director-general of Iraqi railways, as
saying.
"The two countries have shown a real desire to open a rail link to Iraq,"
Hassan said, adding that the service to Iran would help link Iraq's rail
system with East Asia and Europe.
Iraq and Syria resumed a rail service in August, 19 years after rail links
between them were cut. Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian officials met in Ankara at
the beginning
of the week to discuss the railway plan and agreed on completing the work by
spring.
This week, Turkey and Iraq reiterated that they were determined to improve
both economic and political relations -- which have improved in recent
months -- during the visit of Iraqi Foreign Ministry Deputy Undersecretary
Cemil al-Weis.
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Baghdad gives green light to oil exports
>From MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC DIGEST, December 22nd, 2000
Iraq resumed oil exports on 13 December following a 12-day suspension of
sales over a price dispute between Baghdad and the UN. Iraq stopped pumping
crude oil at its two authorised outlets of Mina al-Bakr and Ceyhan in Turkey
on 1 December after the UN refused to accept Iraq's proposed prices for
December. These were pitched below the market price to enable Baghdad to
impose a $0.50-a-barrel surcharge (MEED 15:12:00).
The price dispute was settled on 8 December, but Iraq renewed demands that
customers pay the extra tariff, albeit reduced to $0.40-a-barrel.
Payment by lifters of Iraqi oil of the fee directly to a Baghdad- controlled
account would contravene the UN's oil-for-food programme.
The move is seen as one of the boldest attempts yet by the Iraqi authorities
to regain some independence in its oil export revenues.
Iraq's renewed exports began at Mina al-Bakr with the loading of a million
barrels of Basra Light onto a tanker chartered to the Indian Oil
Corporation. The Indian firm released a statement saying that it did not pay
the surcharge.
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