IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 140
Thursday, October 19, 2000
LATEST+++++++++++NEWS+++++++++
Syrian aircraft violates UN sanctions
>From JANES DEFENCE WEEKLY, October 18th, 2000
MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA A Syrian A320 carrying food, medicine and a delegation
led by Muhammad Mufdi Sayfu, Syrian minister of state for cabinet affairs,
landed in Baghdad on 8 October, becoming the seventh Arab state to challenge
the UN air embargo on Iraq.
Syrian 'solidarity' flight lands in Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - A Syrian aircraft, the third solidarity flight from
Damascus, touched down Wednesday at Saddam International Airport carrying
agricultural engineers, the Iraqi News Agency reported.
The delegation was to remain only a few hours, an Iraqi official said.
The first Syrian plane to fly into Baghdad in 20 years landed on October 8,
as part of an Arab campaign against a decade-old UN air embargo. A second
Syrian aircraft followed three days later.
A long list of Arab countries have tested the embargo, following Russian and
French flights, since the reopening of Baghdad's airport on August 17, while
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi flew in last Friday.
Paris and Moscow say the air embargo, part of the sanctions regime, does not
cover private non-commercial flights. Washington and London insist all
flights must be approved by a UN sanctions committee.
Football: Japan score eight in record victory
>From The Independent October 18th, 2000
JAPAN BEAT Uzbekistan by a record 8-1 scoreline to reach the quarter- finals
of the Asian Cup yesterday.
The Japanese success, featuring hat-tricks from Akinori Nishizawa and
Naohiro Takahara, is the biggest victory in the history of the tournament.
"Our goal today wasn't to set a new record but to get three points and make
it to the quarter-finals," said Japan's French coach Philippe Troussier.
"I am very happy and also a little surprised. It was too easy."
After defeating the defending champions, Saudi Arabia, 4-1 in their opening
match, the Japanese produced another high-scoring display, finding the net
five times inside the opening 25 minutes.
The previous highest victory was accomplished by Iran who thrashed
Bangladesh 7-0 in 1980.
The former record-holders will be battling it out with Iraq today to secure
a place in the quarter-finals. Matches between the two, once the powerhouses
of Asian football are always full of tension following the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq
war and both go into their latest encounter with little separating them.
Both teams have four points, but Iran has the edge with a superior goal
difference.
Their last meeting resulted in a 2-1 victory for Iraq in 1996 and victory in
this year's competition would be long overdue for both countries.
Iraq has never won the Asian Cup, and it has been 24 years since Iran took
the trophy home.
"Twenty-four years is a long time to wait," said the Iranian striker Ali
Daei, who plays for German side Hertha Berlin. "We are certain to win this
year's cup," added Asia's player of the year.
Iran won the title in 1968, 1972 and 1976, but Iraq have suffered since the
United Nations sanctions imposed after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
Until recently the national team have been isolated in the international
football arena. Their first real test came in last year's Pan Arab Games,
when they finished runners-up to Jordan, losing on penalties after trailing
4-0 with 12 minutes to go.
Iraq gives sanctuary to hijackers
>From The Independent October 18th, 2000
IRAQ HAS refused to extradite the two Saudi hijackers of the Saudi plane
diverted to Baghdad at the weekend. "Our people, throughout their history,
have never handed over anyone who seeks refuge," said the Interior Minister,
Muhammed Zimam Abdulrazzaq. "He who comes to Baghdad is safe because Baghdad
is for all Arabs."
Oman firm on Iraqi crude supply uncertainty
BridgeNews New Delhi--Oct. 18--December-loading Oman crude in the Persian
Gulf (PG) spot market remained firm Wednesday on continued uncertainty of
crude supplies from Iraq after expiration of the current eight-phase
contracts early December.
Traders expect Oman offers to stay within U.S. 10-15 cents per barrel
premium to its official selling price (OSP) until a clear picture emerges on
Iraqi supplies.
Iraqi FM: Lifting Embargoes Against Iraq
JAKARTA (Oct. 18) XINHUA - The Iraqi delegation at the ongoing 104
Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference here Wednesday called on the
international community as well as the United Nations to lift economic and
military sanctions imposed on it over past years, adding it would shoot its
bolt in convincing international community that such embargoes were not
fair.
Speaker of the Iraqi National Assembly, Sa'adoon Hammadi said that the
imposition of embargoes against Iraqi was just unfair and should be removed
very soon as it just brought misery to the Iraqi innocent people. "Such
embargoes don't reflect the international community's will, as it has been
an interest of some powerful countries that don't want to see the emerging
of Iraq," Hammadi told a press conference.
Hammadi also said the economic sanction has deteriorated economic and social
conditions of the Iraqi people. He said embargoes against Iraq actually has
nothing to do with the Kuwait issue (the 2nd Gulf War), adding that it is
just for the interest of dominating powers in the U.N., such as the United
States.
"Based on a report issued by the UNICEF between 6,000 and 7,000 children in
Iraq die monthly only because of lack of medical supplies and food shortage
and overwhelmingly children in Iraq have been suffering from malnutrition,"
Hammadi said, asking friendly countries to pay more attention to the fate of
Iraqi children -- the worst victims of "unfair embargoes." The United
Nations imposed economic embargo against Iraq officially on August
6, 1990. The 104th meeting of IPU, which was attending by about 1200
delegates from more than 120 countries, started on October 15 and will last
till October 21.
People's Mujahedeen says Iranian forces shell camp in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Oct 18 (AFP) - The armed Iranian opposition said one of its camps
in Iraq came under rocket attack by Iranian "agents" on Wednesday, although
the rockets fell on a surrounding residential area.
"The mullahs' regime attacked with 107mm rockets" the camp at Jalawla, 30
kilometres (18 miles) from the Iranian border, the People's Mujahedeen said
in a statement received here by AFP.
It reported no casualties in the camp, but could not rule out wounded among
Iraqis living nearby.
The Mujaheeden noted that the attack came just three days after a visit to
Baghdad by Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi on a mission to normalise
relations between the two neighbours.
The statement said this was the 101st attack on the Mujahedeen in Iraq since
1993 and a violaiton of UN security council resolution 598, which brought an
end to the Iran-Iraq war.
"Experts from the Mujahedeen movement are now examining the circumstances of
the attack which might have injured Iraqis leaving near the camp," spokesman
Farid Suleimani told AFP.
During August, the Mujahedeen reported killing or wounding "dozens" of
Iranian forces in a series of attacks and ambushes it conducted in border
provinces of western Iran.
It has also carried out a number of mortar attacks against official targets
in the capital, Tehran.
The Mujahedeen presence in Iraq, like the Iraqi opposition in Iran, is a
stumbling block to the normalisation of relations between Tehran and
Baghdad, who have not signed a peace treaty after the eight-year conflict
between them ended in 1988.
British frigate arrives to contribute to stability in Gulf region
Text of report in English by Kuwaiti news agency Kuna web site
Kuwait, 18th October:
The Royal Navy frigate "HMS Cumberland" arrived here in Shuwaykh Port on
Wednesday [18th October] on a five-day visit to contribute in the security
and stability of the Gulf region and to ensure Iraq's full compliance with
UN sanctions, a press release issued by the British embassy said on
Wednesday.
The press release, a copy of which was picked up by Kuna, said
the HMS Cumberland which is part of the armilla [as published]
group in the Gulf will take part in preventing the maritime
smuggling operations and the illegal export of oil and other
prohibited goods from Iraq.
This is the ship's first visit to Kuwait which coincides with
the ship's rest from patrols. HMS Cumberland is capable of
defending herself and attacking targets above on or below the
sea surface, said the statement.
Iraqi Ambassador: China Helps Iraq Overcome Crisis
JAKARTA (Oct. 18) XINHUA - Iraqi Ambassador to Indonesia Sa'adoon Al-Zubaydi
hoped in an interview with Xinhua Wednesday that China would be more active
and active in helping Iraqi people to overcome the ongoing crisis in that
country.
"China is very friendly with Iraq. I know that China is a good contributor
in the international forum, it is just unlikely the United States, the
childish super power," Al-Zubaydi said.
"China also considered, along with France and Russia that economic blockade
against Iraq is not fair," he said.
France launches parliamentary inquest into Gulf war syndrome
PARIS, Oct 18 (AFP) - A French parliamentary commission announced plans
Wednesday to travel to the United States, Canada, Britain and possibly Iraq
as part of a sweeping six-month enquiry into the causes of Gulf War
syndrome.
Socialist Deputy Bernard Cazeneuve, the commission's president, said the
group hoped to "gain access to the largest possible pool of information" by
speaking to civilians, military officials and scientists.
The commission, which will also travel throughout France, will hold public
sessions and is considering plans to go to Iraq, which was bombed and partly
invaded by a US-led coalition in 1991.
"We will go to Iraq if we can properly prepare the trip," said Cazeneuve.
Defense Minister Alain Richard last month proposed the parliamentary inquest
into Gulf War syndrome and separately set up a task force to look into
complaints filed by war veterans who claim to be suffering from the illness.
Of the 25,000 French troops who served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to
the spring of 1991, several dozens are suffering from health problems dating
back to their military mission.
The illness is characterized by dizziness, loss of memory, diarrhea,
occasional high levels of aggression, muscular and articular pains, insomnia
and mental problems.
U.N. Oil-For-Food Deal Fails to Meet Basic Needs: Iraq
BAGHDAD (Oct. 18) XINHUA - The United Nations oil-for-food program has
failed to meet the basic humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, Iraqi Trade
Minister Mohammad Mehdi Salah said here on Wednesday.
Salah made the remark while meeting a visiting Egyptian delegation, which
arrived in Baghdad by plane on Tuesday afternoon.
Salah said that Iraq's oil exports have generated some 35 billion U.S.
dollars since the beginning of the U.N. humanitarian deal in December 1996,
yet only 8.3 billion dollars worth of goods arrived in Iraq, or an average
of 2 billion dollars a year and seven dollars for every Iraqi citizen.
In contrast, some 11.5 billion dollars have been spent to cover the expenses
of U.N. activities and reparations stemming from the 1991 Gulf War, he said.
Meanwhile, Salah expressed Iraq's keenness to develop trade ties with Egypt,
Iraq's fourth largest trading partner. Iraq has imported goods worth 1
billion dollars from Egypt since the oil- for-food deal was implemented.
The U.N. humanitarian program, now in its eighth phase, allows Iraq to sell
unlimited amount of oil to buy humanitarian supplies to ease the crippling
impacts of sanctions imposed for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.
The sanctions will not be lifted unless U.N. arms experts declare that Iraq
is free of all weapons of mass destruction.
Egypt has been one of the leading Arab countries calling for lifting the
decade-old sanctions.
The visiting Egyptian delegation came to Iraq by plane to show its
solidarity with Iraq as well as its defiance of the air embargo, which Iraq
claimed is unilaterally imposed by the United States and Britain.
The U.S. and Britain maintain that the U.N. sanctions cover air embargo and
flights to or from Iraq should be first approved by the U.N. Sanctions
Committee.
So far, two Egyptian planes have landed in Iraq since Iraq's Saddam
International Airport was reopened on August 17, joining a growing list of
foreign flights to Baghdad with only prior notifications to the U.N.
Iraq Daei a death while Thais keep dream alive
BEIRUT, Oct 18 (AFP) - Asian footballer of the year Ali Daei fired
pre-tournament favourites Iran safely into the Asian Cup quarter-finals here
on Wednesday with a late goal to give his team a 1-0 victory over
arch-rivals Iraq.
The result saw Iran top Group A with seven points, keeping them apart from a
showdown with in-form Japan in the last eight. Iraq, who could have played
bitter enemies Kuwait if they had topped the group, claimed the second
automatic berth after Lebanon and Thailand played out a 1-1 draw in Beirut.
The Thais were left kicking themselves as they let another one goal lead
slip - just as they did against Iran - but can still dream of making the
last eight as one of the two best third placed teams.
For the organisers though the spectre of even sparser crowds looms as
Lebanon exited after finishing bottom of the group.
Hertha Berlin striker Daei pounced in the 77th minute, scrambling in a
rebound from close range after team-mate Karim Bagheri had blasted a
low-shot at the Iraq goal.
"The important thing is that we won and we came top of the group," satisfied
Iran coach Jalal Talebi said afterwards.
"We have to be happy with our first round performance. We can now
concentrate on the quarter-finals. I don't care who we play, everyone from
this part of the competition will be difficult." It was a far from
impressive performance by Iran, who struggled to break down a compact Iraq
team who appeared content to defend in numbers and wait for an opportunity
to catch their opponents on the break.
Talebi's pre-match prediction that the bitter history between the two
countries would not be a factor proved accurate in a largely passionless
affair.
"The fact that we beat Iraq didn't mean anything special for us. We welcome
any victory, and the fact it was Iraq makes no difference," Talebi said
later.
Thai star striker Sakesan Pituratana, who scored in the 1-1 draw with Iran
on Sunday, netted in the 58th minute and the Lebanese, who missed a
succession of chances, finally levelled with seven minutes to go through
Brazilian midfielder Luis Fernandez.
"It's frustrating because we didn't take all our chances just as we didn't
against Iran," Thailand's English coach Peter Withe said.
"It is a feature of South East Asian football that the finishing isn't the
highest standard and we must aspire to be like Japan who showed against
Uzbekistan (8-1 winners) how to put them away," he added.
His Croat-born counterpart Josip Skoblar, formerly coach of elite Croatian
side Hajduk Split, said that his side had suffered from lack of experience
in playing in front of so many people.
However, he rejected criticism over his policy of drafting in the five
so-called Lebanese Brazilians in the lead-up to the tournament.
"I still think that I selected the best possible team and that they did
Lebanon proud .. I see a great future for their football team if they
contiue to play in a similar style," added Skoblar, whose contract finishes
next month.
Fernandez, who also had a golden chance to win the match in the dying
seconds but saw his header sail over the bar, levelled the game when he was
left free after 'keeper Kittisak Rawangpa dropped the ball.
Sakesan, leading scorer in the Thai league, put away the chance from
rightback Anuruck Srikerd's superb curling cross which beat the
outstrectched leg of Brazilian defender Jadir Morgenstern - 'keeper Ali
Fakih was stranded at the near post - that set the goal up.
The Lebanese, cheered on by over 50,000 fans, poured on the pressure but
twice playmaker Moussa Hojej - their best player in all two and a half games
he played - was denied.
First he dragged his shot wide of the far post when in a one on one with
Kittisak and eight minutes later in the 71st the previously out of favour
star was again in on the 'keeper but the latter got down well to block his
effort.
Second Egyptian 'solidarity' flight lands in Iraq
>From THE TIMES OF INDIA, October 18th, 2000
BAGHDAD: The second Egyptian solidarity flight to Iraq in a week
touched down on Tuesday at the Saddam International Airport,
carrying a delegation of 100 doctors, intellectuals and actors.
The delegation, aboard an EgyptAir Boeing 737-500, was greeted by senior
Iraqi officials, according to an AFP correspondent at the
scene.
An EgyptAir flight arrived in Baghdad last Wednesday in a show of
solidarity against decade-old sanctions and air embargo. The United States
said the Egyptian flight, as well as one from Syria, violated the air
embargo after failing to seek approval of a UN sanctions committee.
A long list of Arab countries have also tested the embargo,
following Russian and French flights, since the reopening of
Baghdad's airport on August 17, while Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharazi
flew in on Friday.
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.
Companies asked to submit offers to Iraq in euro
>From BUSINESS RECORDER, October 18th, 2000
KARACHI : The Export Promotion Bureau (Export Promotion Bureau) has advised
Pakistani companies dealing with Iraq to submit their offers preferably in
European currency euro.
Export Promotion Bureau said here on Tuesday that Iraqi Ministry of Trade
had decided not to consider any offer if estimates are quoted in US dollar.
Iraqi Cabinet had decided to replace US dollar with euro or any other
currency in the world, but the implementation date of this decision has not
been intimated so far. However, it is felt that the decision will have
considerable implications for Iraqi economies and its international
transactions.
Meanwhile, Iraqi authorities had already asked all the companies and
establishments dealing with it to submit their offers in currencies other
than dollar, preferably in euros.
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
_______________________________________________________
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
