> >IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 124 >Thursday, September 21, 2000 > > >LATEST++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ > > >Russia pushes to cut funds Iraq pays to war victims. >UNITED NATIONS, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Russia is expected to lobby U.N. >Security Council members on Thursday on the need to lower the amount of >funds Iraq contributes for Gulf war victims from 30 percent to 20 percent, >diplomats said. > >The council is holding closed-door discussions on the latest U.N. report on >the "oil-for-food" programme that allows Iraq to sell unlimited quantities >of oil to buy food, medicine and other civilian necessities to offset the >impact of 10-year old sanctions on ordinary Iraqis. > >No decisions are expected by the 15-member body on Thursday or on Friday >when Hans Blix, the director of the new U.N. weapons agency, talks to the >council about how his teams are ready to go to Iraq if Baghdad ever allows >them in. Russia, France and China are opposed to the sanctions, imposed in >August 1990 after Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait. > >To get them eased, Iraq has to cooperate with U.N. arms monitors evaluating >its weapons of mass destruction programmes. Baghdad has not let the >inspectors into the country since U.S.-British bombing raids began in >mid-December 1998. >But Russia, the country most sympathetic to Iraq on the council, is expected >to raise the compensation issue among council members. It has already >circulated a draft resolution to this end among the other four permanent >council members - the United States, Britain, France and China. >Most council members, including Britain, would not oppose Russia's proposal >if it came to a vote, diplomats said. But the United States will not take >any action favourable to Iraq before the November presidential elections and >one U.S. official said Washington was opposed to Russia's draft. >Under the current programme, 30 percent of the proceeds from the sale of >Iraqi oil is automatically siphoned off into the U.N.-administered >reparations fund and other funds go to U.N. administration of the programme. >Russia, backed by France and China, argues that built-in delays in the >programme, in which contracts for oil as well as humanitarian goods are >submitted to U.N. headquarters for approval, means that Iraq pays more to >the compensation fund some months than the worth of supplies it receives. > >Russia's U.N. ambassador Sergei Lavrov first raised the issue in August in >challenging a $21.5 billion claim by Kuwait for lost oil production and >sales during Iraq's seven-month occupation of the emirate in 1990. A panel >of arbitrators has recommended awarding $15.9 billion. >Kuwait's claim will be considered again when the commission's governing >council, which has the same 15-nation membership as the Security Council, >meets in Geneva next week. But a decision is likely to be delayed again. > >Any lowering of the amount of money Iraq pays into the compensation fund, >however, would not affect a decision on the $15.9 billion award, which could >be reimbursed to Kuwait over a longer period of time. But the monies >involved are large and the issue has assumed political dimensions as have >most topics concerning Iraq. Fears that Iraq might cut off its key crude >exports if the Compensation Commission approved the payment have helped to >push already lofty world oil markets to new decade highs. > >Iraq produces about three million barrels of crude daily, or about 4 percent >of world oil production, and exports about 2.3 million barrels of that to >the world market each day. >Raad Alkadiri, an analyst with The Petroleum Finance Co. in Washington, said >that the $16 billion claim is the "tip of the iceberg" to claims that could >possibly tie up Baghdad's oil revenues for years. Alkadiri said that the >current situation regarding the claim of the state-owned Kuwait Petroleum >Co. for damages incurred during the Gulf War is "just the type of situation" >that could lead to a suspension of oil exports. >But Iraq, since sanctions were imposed after it invaded Kuwait in August >1990, has rarely interrupted the flow of oil and then only briefly to >protest U.N. actions. > > >Iraq commissions two new oil refineries - papers. >BAGHDAD, Sept 21 (Reuters) - Iraq has commissioned two new small refineries >with a capacity to process 10,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude each, local >newspapers reported on Thursday. >They said Oil Minister Amir Muhammed Rasheed opened on Wednesday the two >refineries built in the town of Baiji, 220 km (138 miles) north of Baghdad. >They said the two refineries were among 10 the ministry in cooperation with >other Iraqi ministries had begun to build as early as 1998 under >instructions from President Saddam Hussein. >The other eight refineries are being built in various Iraqi provinces. One >is being constructed in the southern city of Ammarah, 366 km (219 miles) >south of Baghdad. It will also have a capacity of 10,000 bpd. >Iraqi oil industry officials say these refineries will supply products for >domestic consumption. >Iraq's main refineries in Baiji, Basra and Daura, bore the brunt of cruise >missile attacks and aerial bombardment during the 1991 Gulf War. Most >refineries were brought back to life shortly after the war ended in March >1991. > >But these refineries have been cannibalised for lack of spare parts and are >producing refined products of low quality. Iraq is under stringent U.N. >sanctions imposed for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. But the U.N. has allowed >Baghdad since December 1996 to sell unlimited quantities of oil to buy food, >medicine and other humanitarian needs for its people. >The exchange also allows Baghdad to buy spare parts to upgrade its oil >industry. >Iraq's current total oil products output from its three refineries is put at >roughly 500,000 bpd. > >CHENEY ATTACKS CLINTON'S DEALINGS WITH IRAQ. >ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Using the same language that some critics used against >him and former President Bush after the Persian Gulf War nearly 10 years >ago, former Defense Secretary Dick Cheney on Wednesday accused the Clinton >administration of letting Saddam Hussein "slip off the hook" by avoiding >weapons inspections. > >"For a period of time there, in the aftermath of the Gulf war, we had a very >robust inspection regime under way," Cheney said. "We had people in there >all the time, checking out, making certain that he wasn't going back trying >to rebuild his biological and chemical capabilities." >"Now," he said, "we've seen a situation develop in which he's kicked out all >the inspectors and this administration appears to be helpless to do anything >about it. We're at the point where I think we have not seen the kind of >aggressive, effective leadership that President Bush provided with respect >to the coalition." > >Cheney made the charge at a campaign stop in Lancaster, Calif., that began >with a teary recollection of the day the ground war began in the Persian >Gulf. His words were reminiscent of critics of the Bush administration, who >said it let Saddam off the hook by ending the war while Saddam was still in >power. > >Cheney made the accusation against President Clinton in response to a >question from the audience after he had delivered a speech on the need for >increasing the military's research and development budget. > >In past appearances, Cheney has been questioned on why the Bush >administration did not continue the Gulf war until Saddam was driven from >power. He has answered that the object was to drive Iraq out of Kuwait, not >to depose Saddam, and that the international coalition would have been >pulled apart if the United States had continued. >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 >(New York Times) > >Russian discusses Iraq situation with Gulf Cooperation Council envoys. >Text of report by Russian news agency RIA > >Moscow, 20th September: Aleksandr Saltanov, director of the Russian foreign >ministry's Middle East and North Africa department, has had talks with the >permanent representatives of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries on >issues concerning the improvement of the situation in the Persian Gulf zone >and, in particular, the issue of unblocking the Iraq situation. > >RIA was informed at the ministry's Press and Information Department that the >meeting took place within the framework of the work of the Russian >delegation to the 55th session of the UN General Assembly. > >The GCC consists of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia > >Iraqi Kurdish group claims Iraq aiding Turkish Kurds to reach region under >its control. >Source: Anatolia news agency, Ankara, in Turkish 1310 gmt 19 Sep 00 > >Ankara: The Iraqi Patriotic Union of Kurdistan [PUK] has declared that the >terrorist organization PKK [Kurdistan Workers' Party] has been staging >attacks against the region controlled by the PUK in northern Iraq for the >past two weeks. A statement issued by the PUK Ankara liaison office said >that clashes have been experienced between the peshmergas the members of the >terrorist organization for the past two weeks and nine peshmergas were >killed in the terrorist attack on 14th September. >The statement also claimed that the Iraqi armed forces are helping the >terrorists reach the region under PUK control. Pointing out that the >terrorist PKK cannot use northern Iraq as a base for its attacks, the >statement noted that northern Iraq will continue to be a lawful and secure >region. > >Minister says Iraqi media campaign will only hurt Iraq. >Source: Kuna news agency web site, Kuwait, in English 1450 gmt 19 Sep 00 > >Kuwait, 19th September: Minister of State for External Affairs Sulayman >Majid al-Shahin described on Tuesday [19th September] the information >campaign by the Iraqi regime against the state of Kuwait as furious and >asserted that it would only harm Iraq. > >Al-Shahin made the statement to Kuna following a meeting with heads of >diplomatic missions of permanent member states in the Security Council. He >said such practices by the Iraqi regime revives the atmosphere that existed >before July 1990 but the conditions this year are different from those that >existed in 1990, Al-Shahin said, asserting that the basic factor for >stability in the Arab Gulf region lies with Iraq's full abidance by UN >resolutions, related to its 1990 aggression on the state of Kuwait. > >Al-Shahin said the diplomats, during the meeting, expressed keenness of >their governments on security and stability of the state of Kuwait and the >region, asserting that the Security Council is shouldering its historic >duties regarding security and stability of this vital region of the world. >They also expressed their countries' keenness on preserving security and >stability of the state of Kuwait. > > >Government could resume regular flights to Iraq "soon". >Source: `Al-Dustur', Amman, in Arabic 17 Sep 00 > >A responsible source has stated that the government is currently studying >operating regular flights to Baghdad. A number of measures have been adopted >in this regard to offer all kinds of humanitarian aid and assistance to the >fraternal Iraqi people, who are suffering severely from the blockade. > >The source, who requested anonymity, told the `Al-Dustur al-Iqtisadi' that >the government is seriously considering operating a regular air route >between Amman and Baghdad, as the relevant UN resolutions on Iraq do not ban >aircraft from flying to Baghdad, especially those that carry passengers. He >affirmed that the government and the concerned departments are discussing >this subject. > >The source added that "the coming days will bring good news. A number of >positive factors have appeared recently". He was thus hinting that a >government decision is expected soon to resume flights to Baghdad. > >The source affirmed that airline companies have received verbal instructions >to study their technical preparedness to deal directly with any decision >issued in this regard. This includes refurbishing their offices in Baghdad >and opening additional offices to face the expected increase in air bookings >in the event flights are resumed. > >The `Al-Dustur al-Iqtisadi' has learned that the government on Thursday >[14th September] discussed the technical and security aspects of this issue. >It is likely that this step was within the framework of the preparations to >resume flights to Iraq. > >Meanwhile, Ahid Qintar, director of the Royal Wings company told the >`Al-Dustur al-Iqtisdadi': "We hope and fully desire to resume our flights to >Baghdad. But this needs a decision on the practical and political levels. He >noted that Royal Jordanian Airlines to which other Jordanian airline >companies belong has discussed this subject with the concerned quarters and >we are still awaiting any developments on this level." > >On the technical preparedness of airline companies to deal with a decision >to resume flights to Baghdad, Qintar said: "We have high technical >preparedness. The Royal Wings can start flights to Baghdad within a very >short period in the event it is given the go-ahead. He noted that the >Jordanian airline companies have kept their offices in Baghdad." >Qintar added that several trade union, party and popular organizations have >submitted requests to Royal Wings to rent aircraft for one trip to break the >siege imposed on Iraq. This requires the approval of Ministry of Transport >and the Civil Aviation Authority. But no approval for such requests has been >received so far. In the events flights are resumed by a government decision, >it will be easy to approve these requests... > >Russian oil and industrial delegation leaves by air. >Source: Republic of Iraq Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 1600 gmt 19 Sep 00 > >The Russian Yak-42 aircraft took off from Saddam International Airport at >1725 carrying a Russian oil and industrial delegation. > >The Russian delegation, whose visit to Iraq lasted for three days, was >headed by Arngolt Bekker, board director of Stroytransgaz Company. In a >statement to the Iraqi News Agency, Arngolt Bekker said his visit to Iraq >was important, positive, and reflected the eagerness of the Russian oil >companies to work in Iraq and participate in cooperative projects. He added >that he held intensive talks with ranking Iraqi officials, including Deputy >Prime Minister Tariq Aziz, as well as the ministers of industry and >minerals, trade, and housing and reconstruction. >The delegation held a seminar to acquaint the competent officials in the Oil >Ministry with the operations and activities of the Stroytransgaz Company in >setting up oil projects, pipelines construction, and gas transportation. > >The Russian delegation was seen off at the airport by the director general >of the Oil Projects Company at the Oil Ministry and the Russian charge >d'affaires in Baghdad. > >Culture minister briefs Saddam, senior officials on OPEC meeting. >Source: Republic of Iraq Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 1030 gmt 19 Sep 00 > >President Saddam Husayn, may God protect him, has presided over a meeting >that was attended by Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of the Revolution Command >Council; Taha Yasin Ramadan, vice president of the republic; Tariq Aziz, >deputy prime minister; and Humam Abd-al-Khaliq, minister of culture and >information. > >The culture minister briefed the audience on several issues discussed at the >OPEC culture ministers' meeting in Caracas last week. > >Official responds to Albright statement on sanctions. >Source: Republic of Iraq Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 1400 gmt 19 Sep 00 > >A spokesman for the Foreign Ministry commented on the statement made by US >Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in which she claimed that the solution >to the siege on Iraq is in the hands of the Iraqi president. > >The spokesman said: The solution is for the United States to end the siege. >This means that the US President must take this decision. This decision >should be adhered to by international Zionism in the United States because >the injustice suffered by Iraq has no justification on legal grounds. They >should stop injustice and aggression. Dealings [between Iraq and the United >States] should be based on full equality and free will of the two countries. > >The United States is Zionist. This means that the United States is in the _______________________________________________________ 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] _______________________________________________________
