IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 137 Friday October 13, 2000 LATEST NEWS++++++LATEST++++NEWS+++ Russian airlines awaiting Foreign Ministry permission for Iraq flights MOSCOW (AP) _ Russia's Vnukovo Airlines is awaiting permission from the Foreign Ministry before launching regular flights to Iraq, a company spokesman said Friday. Alexei Sapkin, a spokesman for the airline, said that Vnukovo hoped to start twice-weekly flights by the end of the year. ``All will depend on the decision by the Foreign Ministry,'' Sapkin said. The United States and Great Britain insist that passenger flights to Iraq are an economic resource for Saddam Hussein's government and therefore a breach of U.N.-mandated sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. But Russia is eager to see sanctions lifted so it can resume lucrative oil contracts with Baghdad and have Iraq pay back some dlrs 8 billion in Soviet-era debt. Along with France, Moscow contends that U.N. resolutions do not specifically ban passenger flights. Russia's state-run airline, Aeroflot, has said it plans to resume passenger flights to Baghdad as early as this month. Sapkin said that Vnukovo was sending three humanitarian flights to Baghdad on Oct. 27, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10. Those flights have been chartered by the Moscow-based Committee for International Cooperation with Iraq. Several Russian planes with humanitarian aid have flown to Baghdad in recent weeks, often taking along businessmen and cultural officials seeking to open offices in Baghdad and establish ties with Iraq. Vnukovo expects heavy demand for its flights from American and European businessmen and politicians as well as Russians, Sapkin said. Ultimately, the airline plans to run daily flights to Baghdad. ``We'll have the first flights between a European location and Iraq,'' Sapkin said. ``We'll serve the whole planet.'' Sanctions against Iraq are to remain in place until Baghdad complies with demands to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction. For the past decade, travelers to Iraq have generally had to fly to Amman, Jordan, and then drive to Baghdad. Iran's foreign minister in Baghdad to try to solve war-related issues BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Iran's foreign minister arrived in Baghdad Friday to talk about prisoners of war, reparations and other issues lingering from the 1980-1988 war between the two countries. Both Kharrazi and his Iraqi counterpart Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf expressed hope that their discussions over the next several days will lead toward normalizing ties. The visit follows a meeting between Iranian President Mohammad Khatami and Iraqi Vice-President Taha Yassin Ramadan following the summit the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries held in Venezuela last month. Several joint committees the countries set up in 1997 made some progress, particularly on the prisoner of war issue. But they bogged down on questions like border security, war reparations and the signing of a peace treaty. Iran would like to reactivate a 1975 border pact the countries signed in Algiers. The deal obliges the countries to halt cross border infiltration and attacks by opposition groups based in each other's territory. Iraq is said to have accepted an Iranian demand to throw out the Iranian exile Mujahedeen Khalq provided Tehran reciprocates. Iran provides refuge to guerrillas of the Supreme Council of Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Tehran would like Baghdad to pay billions of dollars in war reparations. It refuses to return scores of civil and military aircraft Iraq flew to Iran to escape bombing by U.S. and allies during the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait. Relations slightly thawed in 1999 when thousands of Iranian pilgrims started pouring into Iraq to pay homage to Shiite holy sites. But the pilgrimage was abruptly halted several months ago with each country blaming the other for the stoppage. ``Under good understanding and good neighborly relations we can solve all the outstanding issues between our countries,'' Kharrazi said. Al-Sahhaf said: ``We have made progress in this sphere but there still are lingering issues.'' Kharrazi flew to Saddam International Airport. His aides said the plane had U.N. authorization to land in Baghdad. Planes from Russia, France and several Arab countries have arrived at the Baghdad airport in the past few weeks to show solidarity with Iraqi people suffering under U.N. trade sanctions imposed on Iraq for invading Kuwait in 1990. On Friday, the official Iraqi News Agency reported that two Sudanese planes with 1 million pencils and six tons of medical supplies arrived. Wall Street shares close lower on Middle East, oil industry worries NEW YORK (AFX) - Share prices closed sharply lower on all major indices, following a volatile session dominated by nervousness about the crude price in the face of escalating Middle East violence and threatening oil industry developments in Latin America, dealers said. The DJIA closed only slightly above its intraday low, down 379.76 at 10,034.03, following the fifth-largest point decline in the history of the index. Lebanese Plane Flies to Iraq BEIRUT (Oct. 13) XINHUA - A plane of a Lebanese airline company took off from Beirut International Airport to Baghdad Friday morning, Oriental radio reported. The U.N. and Lebanese government Thursday night gave green light to the flight of Lebanon's Tra-Mediterranean Airline (TMA), which carries 40 tons of medicine and medical facilities. It is the first Lebanese airplane flying to Baghdad since U.N. imposed sanctions on Iraq for its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. Some Lebanese businessmen and TMA initiated the action. TMA said in a statement that it hopes the flight will be a beginning of Lebanon's part in an international trend to help Iraqi people. Russia, France and several Arab countries have sent airplanes to Iraq in last few weeks in defiance of U.N. sanctions. Palestinian refugees seek to join Intifada against Israel SIDON, Lebanon, Oct 13 (AFP) - Thousands of Palestinian refugees asked here on Friday to join the uprising in the Palestinian territories against Israel and denounced preceived US backing to the Jewish state's "savagery." "Bashar, Lahoud open the borders," the crowd shouted in unison, in a call directed at Lebanese President Emile Lahoud and the leader of powerful neighbor Syria, Bashar Assad. "Beloved Saddam, destroy Tel Aviv," they also chanted in the streets of the Ain al-Helweh refugee camp at the outskirts of this southern port city, referring to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Iraq offered Thursday to send more than one million volunteers to join a jihad (holy war) against Israel alongside the Palestinians. A group of youths waved Palestinian flags while carrying models of Scud missiles that Saddam fired on Tel Aviv during the 1990 Gulf War, while others torched the Israeli and US flags. The protestors carried large effigies of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak with blood running down from their teeth and Nazi swastikas on their chests. Further south however, the Lebanese army prevented Palestinian refugees from reaching the border with Israel, a day after Israel warned that protestors throwing projectiles over the fence will be shot at. Russian airlines to make humanitarian flights to Iraq soon. MOSCOW, October 13 (Itar-Tass) - Several Russian air carriers, including Vnukovo Airlines (VAL), are expected to make humanitarian flights to Iraq soon, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday. "The sanctions committee set up in compliance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 661 has been notified of these flights," the statement said. "Russia proceeds from the fact that relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions do not contain a ban on passenger and humanitarian flights to Iraq, which can be carried out upon notification of the afore-mentioned committee," it said. Deputy Russian speaker: let's use Mid-East crisis to restore ties Text of report by Russian news agency RIA Moscow, 13th October: LDPR leader Vladimir Zhirinovskiy, the deputy speaker of the Russian Duma, has proposed submitting a motion to the Duma calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov to "use the current Middle East situation to restore normal relations between Russia and Iraq, Iran and Palestine." Zhirinnovskiy made the proposal when the agenda was discussed at the start of today's plenary sitting. Zhirinovskiy proposed that the Duma committees on international affairs, defence and security should draft the motion. Duma chairman Gennadiy Seleznev asked Zhirinovskiy to submit his proposal in writing and to distribute it to the deputies. If Zhirinovskiy does so, the motion could be put to the vote by 1400 Moscow Time Iranian victims of Iraqi weapons demand compensation from Britain Text of report by Iranian Students News Agency (ISNA) web site Tehran, 13th October: The Association of the Victims of Mass Destruction Weapons has written a letter of complaint to British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. The letter describes the British authorities as one of the main supporters of the [Iraqi] Ba'thist regime, which committed crimes against the Iranian people, and demands that the people of this country should be compensated for their losses. According to an ISNA report, the letter points out that this week two Iranian young men, named Kamran Jeddinezhad and Mohammad E'temadi, gained exalted status of martyrdom as a result of the injuries they received during the [Iran-Iraq] war. It says: Their injuries were the result of support given to the Saddam [Husayn] regime by such states as Britain. The letter adds: Britain, as one of the main supporters of Saddam's criminal regime, shares the responsibility for all the crimes committed by that regime against the Iranian and Iraqi people as well as for the damage inflicted on the environment. It should, therefore, received punishment and pay compensation [to the victims] in proportion to its share of these inhumane crimes. The letter says: In accordance with the figures and the statistics released by the British state and private departments, in the history of international conflicts Britain has remained one of the biggest manufacturers and distributor of conventional and unconventional weapons. The extensive and unstinting political, economic and military support given to the criminal and aggressive regime of Saddam by Britain, in conjunction with its strategic ally the United States of America at the start and throughout the eight-year war against Iran, is clear example of the crisis created [by Britain] in the contemporary era in order to increase its domination or to make absurd amounts of money through the sale of military equipment. The letter, a copy of which was sent to the foreign diplomats and news agencies in Tehran, adds: Britain became a permanent member of the US Security Council, thanks to its nuclear capability and ability to massacre people. In order to inform public opinion, the letter says that a report will soon be released entitled "Britain and the policy of distributing weapons of mass destruction". The letter also says: The Association of the Victims of Mass Destruction Weapons believes that Britain plays a key role in the creation of regional crises, in the confrontation against Islamic states, in overall support for Zionism and the usurping regime of Israel, in the creation and directing of countless instances of hostility against Islam and Iran such as Salman Rushdie issue and in ... [ellipses as received]. In conclusion the letter calls on Iranian authorities to bring up in their joint discussions the issue of Britain's direct or indirect involvement in the crimes committed by Saddam against the people of Iran and Iraq, so as to help our association in its effort to realize the rights of the victims and to put right the damage inflicted on the environment by the countries which assisted the Saddam regime. Ukraine to cooperate with Iraq under oil-for-food programme - first deputy PM Text of report by Ukrainian news agency UNIAN Kiev, 13th October: Ukraine will cooperate with Iraq within the framework of the "oil-for-food" resolution, the first deputy prime minister, Yuriy Yekhanurov, said while commenting today on the results of his visit to the Middle East countries (7th-12th October). An UNIAN correspondent reports that Yekhanurov said that he had an official meeting with Iraqi President Saddam Husayn as well as meetings with Iraqi officials. He said that the head of the Naftohaz Ukrayiny company, Vadym Kopylov, who was also on the Ukrainian delegation, reached an agreement with the Iraqi minister of oil on further cooperation between the two countries through the sale of Iraqi oil in exchange for Ukrainian produce. At the same time, Yekhanurov told journalists that Ukraine's charge d'affaires in Iraq, Valentyn Novikov, has begun work in Baghdad. Four solidarity flights land in Iraq despite UN air embargo BAGHDAD, Oct 13 (AFP) - Four solidarity flights landed in the sanctions-hit Iraqi capital on Friday despite a decade-old UN air embargo, officials said. Two Sudanese planes and a Lebanese aircraft touched down at Saddam International Airport carrying humanitarian aid as well as political delegations. Earlier the same day, Kamal Kharazi flew in for the first visit to the Iraqi capital by an Iranian foreign minister in 10 years. Social Affairs Minister Qotbi al-Mahdi led a delegation on one of the Sudanese planes, while the other carried six tonnes of medical aid, said Iraq's official news agency INA. It said a Boeing 707 cargo plane arrived from Lebanon with MP Mosbah al-Ahdab on board and 25 tons of aid for Iraq, which has been under sweeping sanctions including the air embargo since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Lebanon and Sudan joined a long list of Arab countries to test the embargo, following Russian and French flights, since the reopening of Baghdad's airport on August 17. Paris and Moscow say the air embargo on Iraq, as part of the sanctions regime, does not cover private non-commercial flights. Washington and London insist that all flights must be approved by a UN sanctions committee. Trans Mediterranean Airlines (TMA) in Lebanon said its flight had UN authorisation, while the Sudanese planes were delayed by a day, as the United States warned Khartoum to wait for clearance from the UN sanctions committee. Unlike the French and Russian flights, most of the Arab missions have been cleared by the UN committee. Iran's foreign minister, meanwhile, flew in on an Iran Air flight, the first Iranian aircraft to land in Baghdad since the United Nations slapped sanctions on Iraq. Tehran has opposed the strict sanctions regime but nonetheless abided by the international embargo against the neighbour with which it fought a 1980-1988 war. A bone of contention between Tehran and Baghdad is the return of Iraqi planes evacuated to Iran to avoid US-led air raids during the 1991 Gulf War over Kuwait. Tariq Aziz receives Egyptian delegation, says Israelis being taught a lesson Text of report by Iraqi TV on 11th October Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz conveyed the greetings of mujahid leader President Saddam Husayn, may God watch over him, to the members of the Egyptian popular delegation [which arrived by air]. He also expressed the president's pride in the fraternal Egyptian people's support for their brothers in Iraq. During a meeting with the members of the Egyptian delegation this evening, Tariq Aziz said: Leader President Saddam Husayn asked me to convey his excellency's greetings to the members of the delegation. He asked me to tell you that he misses Egypt. Aziz added: The Iraqi people warmly and sincerely welcome this visit because of its symbolic importance to the Iraqi people. Aziz said that Iraq has always supported Egypt during times of jihad. The heart of Baghdad was boiling for Egypt during the 1956 tripartite aggression. He added: The imperialists and the Zionists who imposed the embargo on Iraq and continue to attack it were under the illusion that Iraq will remain alone and that they will be able to enforce their will on it and make it kneel down and surrender. However, Iraq stood fast for 10 years in the face of the aggression and the embargo. Iraq still has more patience and determination to remain steadfast. Today, they see with their own eyes that the Arab nation from the ocean to the gulf stands in support of Iraq, including Egypt, the very heart of the Arab nation. Therefore, these arrogant people will learn important lessons from the Arab solidarity that Iraq is enjoying. Aziz went on to say: We must teach them more lessons. Our people in Palestine are currently teaching the Zionists a lesson that they never expected. Baghdad, which welcomes you, does not talk about the blockade these days as much as it talks about Palestine. The streets of Baghdad and all the Iraqi cities are crowded with demonstrations in support of Palestine and Jerusalem. Moreover, dozens and hundreds and even thousands and tens of thousands of Iraqi youths and people from all age groups are flocking at the volunteers centres to register they names in order to go to Palestine and struggle alongside their brothers and sisters in Palestine. This is because our cause is one whether in Iraq, Palestine, and Egypt or in the other parts of the unified Arab world. He added: When there is an action of struggle or jihad in any part of the Arab world, we notice that the Arab nation in its entirety interacts with this action. This testifies to the fact that our cause is one. Those who besiege Iraq are the imperialists and the Zionists and those who kill our people in Palestine are also the imperialists and Zionists. Additionally, those who attacked Egypt in 1956 are those same imperialists and Zionists and those who kept the Algerian people under occupation for 130 years are the same enemies of this nation, the imperialists and Zionists. The tripartite aggression was waged against Egypt because it supported the Algerian revolution, Aziz stressed. He noted that the aggression launched against Iraq in 1991 and the blockade imposed on it are due to the fact that Iraq has always stood by Palestine and sought to strike some kind of balance with the arrogant Zionists who seek to impose their will on the entire nation, unmindful of the size of the population of this nation, extent of its territory, and richness of its resources. We are facing an aggression in every part of the Arab world because we support one another, Aziz concluded. Iranian radio says ties with Iraq depends on Baghdad's goodwill Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi arrived in Baghdad on 13th October on an official visit. His visit, which is the first ever by an Iranian foreign minister to Iraq in the past 10 years, is said to be aimed at resolving some differences. In fact, the last visit of an Iranian foreign minister to that country took place in November 1990, when the then foreign minister of Iran, Ali Akbar Velayati, went there on an official visit. Kharrazi's visit to Baghdad comes at a time when Iran and Iraq are still facing some issues, remaining to be resolved since the end of the eight-year Iran-Iraq war, which came to an end in 1988. One of the main stumbling blocks to the normalization of Tehran-Baghdad ties are some terms of the UN Security Council resolution 598, which have not been resolved yet. Among the unresolved provisions of the resolution 598 we can name a complete exchange of POWs between the two countries, Iraq's fulfilled obligation of paying reparations to Iran, and the implementation of some new arrangements, by virtue of which collective security could be established across the entire region. Russian company in talks with Iraq on developing oil field St Petersburg, 13th October: Slavneft is to begin talks with the Iraqi government on developing the Subba oil deposit in Iraq on 31st October this year, the company's vice-president, Andrey Shtorkh, said... According to Shtorkh, the Iraqi government has proposed that Slavneft develop three deposits, of which Subba is the most advanced. However, the vice president stressed that real work on the project might begin only after the UN lifts its embargo. "If we feel that we have made progress in our negotiations are prepared to approach this organization with a proposal to lift the embargo," he said. Second Sudanese aircraft arrives in Iraq Text of report by Iraqi radio on 13th October A second Sudanese plane carrying a large official and popular delegation landed at Saddam International Airport at 1215 [0915 gmt] today. On board the plane were Shanbul Adlan, the Sudanese aviation minister; Fathi Khalil, head of the Sudanese Bar Association and head of the popular committee for the support of Iraq; and representatives of professional and popular organizations in Sudan. They were received at the airport by Sa'di Tu'mah Abbas, minister of labour and social affairs; Dr Ahmad Murtada Ahmad, minister of transport; Sa'd Qasim Hammudi, secretary-general of the Arab Popular Forces Conference; Abd-al-Wahid Shinan Al Ribat, governor of Baghdad; and other officials. Iraqi military spokesman reports US-British sorties on 12th October Text of report by Iraqi radio on 12th October Within their hostile policy towards the great Iraq and their exposed schemes against it, and at a time that our Arab people in occupied Palestine are being annihilated, the rulers of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are carrying on with their treachery. They are extending support and assistance to the US and British ravens to further harm Iraq, the fortress of steadfastness and Arab liberation. They aim at hampering its role in defending the Islamic holy shrines and fighting the Zionist aggression. In a statement to INA, a spokesman for the Air Defence Command said: At 1115 [0815 gmt] on 12th October 2000, the US and British ravens of evil violated the sanctity of our airspace through the Saudi and Kuwaiti airspace and with direct spport from the ruling regimes in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. They conducted 22 sorties from Saudi airspace and 24 sorties from Kuwaiti airspace, backed by an AWACS aircraft in the Saudi airspace and an A-2 C aircraft in the Kuwaiti airspace. They flew over areas in the Governorates of Basra, Dhi Qar, Al-Muthanna, Al-Qadisiyah, Karbala, Al-Najaf, Wasit and Maysan. Revolution Command Council issues statement on Palestinian intifadah Text of report by Iraqi TV on 12th October President Saddam Husayn, may God watch over him, chaired a meeting comprising members of the Revolution Command Council Taha Yasin Ramadan, Tariq Aziz, Colonel Ali Hasan al-Majid, and Taha Muhyi-al-Din Ma'ruf. The following statement was issued at the end of the meeting: Ye fighters on Palestinian land, the sons of our glorious Arab nation. Ye great people in the Iraq of glory, the flag and the position. May peace be upon you. The Zionist aggression and the liberation of beloved Palestine and its holy Jerusalem will not be achieved by condemnation and denunciation, as some of those who are trying to throw dust in the eyes are doing. They are under the illusion that they can conceal their weakness and inability, which they caused themselves by adopting dishonourable positions and dubious and malicious policies. Therefore, Iraq has taken it upon itself not to adopt the same position as those who do not have sound intentions or stances.Thus, we are aware that the Arab nation, including the heroic Palestinian people, the principled Iraqi people, the valiant and honourable Iraqi army, and every Arab state, is capable of liberating Palestine within its cabilities with the help of God, who is capable and great. The Arab nation can achieve that with moderate military resources in addition to military, economic and media support as well as the Arab nation's capabilities in various fields. The problem is not with the ability of the nation or its intentions. The problem is with those who were appointed kings and presidents on the nation as a reward for serving the foreigners. Accordingly, each atriotic and pan-Arab person who is a faithful believer should work under any symbol of authority and power in the Arab world. The masses should fight to impose their call for liberation on those who are hesitant or are practising one-upmanship in a desperate attempt to deceive the masses. The liberation of Palestine should be the slogan emanating from every home and every leader, whether popular or official. This is the slogan of jihad, for which we are prepared to sacrifice blood and money and mobilize men and energies. The Arab nation and all the energies and resources of the Arabs should be the depth of any front-line with the enemy. Whoever opposes this slogan or procrastinates in providing the requirements for its success will be cursed and considered a traitor. The slogan on the way to the liberation of Palestine should at least be the abrogation of the agreements signed with the Zionist entity, and the eviction of its embassies. The slogan should also consider any of the members of the Zionist entity or its interests targets during the fight wherever the Arabs can reach them. America should also be considered an ally and an accomplice in the aggression, in entrenching the Zionist entity's occupation of Arab territory, and in shaping the domestic and foreign Arab policies, whether in the field of economy, culture or the media accordingly. The US military presence on the Arab lands, territorial waters and airspace should be banned. The intifadah and any official or popular military front should be supported by supplying it with men, money and armies; opening the doors for public volunteers and providing arms and money as well as other financial means. Long live Palestine, free and Arab. Long live our glorious Arab nation. Long live Iraq. God be great. Long live the jihad. Down with the aggressive and occupying Jews. God is great. God is great. Down with the lowly ones. Ahmad Husayn Khudayir, chief of the Presidential Office; Muhammad Sa'id al-Sahhaf, foreign minister; and Humam Abd-al-Khaliq Abd-al-Ghafur, minister of culture and information also attended the meeting. Source: Iraqi TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1940 gmt tel: +44 (0)20 7403 5200 fax: +44 (0)20 7403 3823 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: www.mariamappeal.com