>from Kuwait in 1991. > >"The question is what for all these weapons as the Saudi regime allows the >aggressors to use its territory, military bases and ports to launch daily >aggression against Iraq," the newspaper said. > >The U.S. Defence Department said the prime contractor had not yet been >determined for the biggest of the three Saudi packages, valued at $1.6 >billion for flight simulators, parts and technical services for Royal Saudi >Air Force F-15s. > > >IRAQ REFUSES ENTRY BY U.N. HUMANITARIAN INSPECTORS. > >UNITED NATIONS - Iraq will not allow independent experts into the country to >assess the living conditions of Iraqis a decade after economic sanctions >were imposed, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council on >Monday. > >In a report to the council, Annan also said the Iraqis were barring another >group of experts that Annan wanted to send to devise ways to improve an >oil-for-food program, which was developed to soften impact of the sanctions >on the Iraqi >population. Those experts had planned to set up a system in which Iraq would >use some of its oil-sales money to buy goods locally, a move that was >expected to spur the local economy. >These latest decisions by Iraq not to cooperate with this new purchasing >program or the impact survey come after it also refused to allow Ambassador >Peter van Walsum of the Netherlands, who is chairman of the Security >Council's sanctions committee, to visit Iraq. > >"It's not just on disarmament issues," a diplomat said of the Iraqis' >refusal to cooperate, even for their own interests. "They claim they can't >get things done, but won't let anybody come in and fix it." > >Diplomats and relief officials say several reasons contribute to this >attitude. > >Iraqis say they do not want charity. Saddam Hussein, whose government is now >probably the world's most repressive, wants to control all contact between >Iraqis and outsiders, and can in effect veto the assignment to Iraq of even >U.N. officials. Furthermore, the government demands the right to decide how >aid is distributed and by whom. If cash is to be made available for local >purchases, the Iraqis want total control of the money. > >Diplomats and international aid workers say Iraqi government has also been >turning down offers of relief from private organizations. Earlier this year, >a British "flying hospital" was given permission by the U.N. sanctions >committee to land in Iraq and provide free medical treatment, but the Iraqis >barred it. Iraq has severely restricted or expelled some groups in recent >months, including representatives of the Middle East Council of Churches. > >However, anti-sanctions protesters, who bring in relatively small amounts of >aid, are welcomed for their propaganda value. >Private aid, a relief official said, "has not even scratched the surface," >although its potential in meeting Iraqi needs is great. >Another official said the repressive political atmosphere of Iraq made it >almost impossible to work there. Human rights monitors are routinely barred, >and entry has been denied to Yuli Voronstov, a Russian diplomat who, as a >special U.N. envoy, is looking into the cases of people missing since the >invasion of Kuwait in 1990. > >Since last December, Iraq has been permitted to sell limited amounts of oil >- at high international prices - but only to pay for essential civilian >needs under the oil-for-food program. The embargo cannot be lifted until >Iraq meets key disarmament requirements, but Hussein will not permit arms >inspectors to enter the country, either. > >Since 1996, when Iraq finally agreed to the oil-for-food program, Hussein >has sold $32 billion in oil. Nearly $1 billion in medicine and medical >supplies have been bought, along with more than $6 billion in food. > >Concern is growing that as more goods flow in, close associates of Hussein >will gain from cornering distribution rights, if not through outright >black-marketeering. If no independent collection of information is possible, >Iraq can continue to blame outsiders, particularly the United States, for >illnesses and deaths from disease or malnutrition, when relief officials say >that at least some of the problem rests with the Iraqi leadership. > >"The Iraqi victims of these unjust and unrestricted sanctions amounted to >more than a million children, women and elderly people during the past 10 >years," Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tariq Aziz, told a summit meeting of >world leaders last week. "The United Nations cannot escape its moral >responsibility for the consequences of sanctions." > >A European diplomat said there were "pretty solid reports" that Iraq has >been exporting medical supplies, some of which appear to have found their >way to Lebanon, and has sold food from the oil-sales program to Syria and >Jordan. Ships have been intercepted leaving Iraq carrying wheat and beans. >At the same time, Iraqis are buying large quantities of cigarettes and >imported whiskey for the use of Hussein's associates, a diplomat said. > >Diplomats say several large aid organizations based in Europe have been >turned away when they responded to Iraqi needs. A shipment of long-life milk >from the Netherlands was allowed to spoil and had to be destroyed. > >The Security Council, responding to persistent reports of undue suffering >among the general population because of the embargo, requested the impact >survey in June. The panel's study was to be submitted by Nov. 26. > >The plan to allocate cash for local purchases has been discussed for nearly >two years, and seemed to have the approval of Iraq until it became clear >that the United Nations intended to retain oversight. > >"Without the cooperation of the government of Iraq on this issue," Annan >said in his report, "I am not in a position to submit to the Security >Council finalized arrangements." > >Annan said he had selected his group of experts to study Iraqi deprivations >and why they persisted despite the larger influx of money. "However, in >discussions with the United Nations," he wrote, "the government of Iraq has >indicated that it does not intend to cooperate with or issue visas to such >experts." > >Copyright (c) 2000 The New York Times Company. All rights reserved. >Information may not be stored in electronic format. >Please note: Users must not download the paper in its entirety, they must >choose either a topic or keyword. Archiving rights remain unaltered for RBB >Search, the NYT is still only available for 24 hours on Search. > > >France's Vedrine meets Iraq's Aziz on sanctions. >UNITED NATIONS, Sept 11 (Reuters) - French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine >said he discerned no change in Baghdad's position on sanctions after meeting >Iraq's deputy prime minister, Tareq Aziz, on Monday, a French diplomat >reported. > >Vedrine, whose country is critical of continued U.N. sanctions against Iraq, >met Aziz on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in a closed meeting. > >The diplomat quoted him as saying that there was "no change and no >evolution" in the Iraqi position, adding that France wanted Baghdad to >honour a December Security Council resolution that moved toward easing the >sanctions if Iraq allowed arms monitors back into the country. > >"Vedrine called on Tareq Aziz to cooperate with the new (arms) commission," >the envoy said. > >Aziz, in his public statements, has given no indication that Iraq was >prepared to drop its opposition and cooperate with the new U.N. Monitoring >Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC). > >The Security Council voted in December to suspend sanctions on civilian >goods if Iraq cooperated with UNMOVIC to complete the elimination of its >weapons of mass destruction, but Baghdad has refused to readmit U.N. >inspectors since a U.S. and British bombing campaign in December 1998. > >France abstained on that resolution along with Russia and China, arguing >that it did not offer Iraq a clear enough incentive to cooperate. But >Vedrine made clear that France was abiding by the resolution and wanted Iraq >to do the same. > >Sharp differences over policy toward Iraq have strained France's relations >with the United States. French President Jacques Chirac last week denounced >the continuation of the embargo, a decade after Iraq invaded Kuwait and more >than nine years after a U.S.-led coalition, including French forces, drove >Iraqi troops out of the Gulf emirate. > >"We have never been in breach of the U.N. sanctions, even though we consider >this sanctions policy is dangerous, inhuman and inappropriate," Chirac told >a news conference during the U.N. Millennium Summit. > >Iraq is fighting to reduce the percentage of its oil revenues which are >impounded to meet claims by Kuwait and other states arising out of the Gulf >War. > >France and Russia are delaying the processing of a $21.5 billion claim by >Kuwait against Iraq by the U.N.'s Gulf War Compensation Commission, which is >due to meet again later this month in Geneva. > >Kuwaiti sources said Oil Minister Sheikhh Saud Nasser al-Sabah would meet >French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in Paris this week to discuss the >delays. Independent arbitrators have recommended awarding Kuwait $15.9 >billion. > > >MISCELLANY++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >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 >_________________________________________________________ >Dear friends, >I am sure this online petition to end the sanctions against our Iraqi kin >will interest many of you: > >http://www.PetitionOnline.com/s343/ > >Khaled Bayomi > >_________________________________________________________ > > >ADVERTISEMENT > > >Position Four Brigade Coordinators Required (Full Time - with 3 >months per year on site in Iraq) For the MARIAM APPEAL "Iraq International >Work Brigades" > >Salary £ 20,000 per annum > >To Start January 2001 > >The Mariam Appeal, which campaigns for the lifting of sanctions on Iraq, is >sending a series of International Work Brigades to Iraq to build an >international friendship village that will be used as a centre for >international friendship and solidarity with the people of Iraq. > >The village will symbolise "reconciliation through reconstruction" and will >upon completion, be used by Iraqi children for recuperation, rest, education >and play. The project will enable people from all over the world to express >solidarity with the people of Iraq, who have suffered grievously under the >10 year embargo. The brigades will perform light construction duties (under >the guidance of Iraqi tradesmen) hold discussion and education sessions and >enjoy a variety of cultural and social activities. > >Interested ? think you have what it takes to organise international brigades >? then please contact us at : > >MARIAM APPEAL >Brigades Department >13(a) Borough High Street >London SE1 9SE > >tel: +44 (0)20 7403 5200 >fax: +44 (0)20 7403 3823 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >web: www.mariamappeal.com > > > > > > >Knowledge is Power! >Elimination of the exploitation of man by man >http://www.egroups.com/group/pttp/ >POWER TO THE PEOPLE! > >Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Change Delivery Options: >http://www.egroups.com/mygroups > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Anti-Imperialism list for anti-imperialist news. Subscribe/unsubscribe messages: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________
