IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 219 Thursday, March 1, 2001. The Monitor is produced each week day by the Mairam Appeal ______________________________________ Go to www.orientmagazine.co.uk for 24-hour a day, seven day a week news on Iraq and the Orient _______________________________________ Saddam wins round. President Saddam Hussain has won an important round in his 10-year-old battle against UN sanctions led by the US and the UK. Sanctions may be relaxed or made more focused, Washington and London say after widespread international criticism of their latest military strikes against Iraqi targets. The first substantive review of policy over Iraq since the establishment of the UN's oil-for-food programme four years ago follows conflicting signals from the US and the UK. The review process may take months, UK officials say. The talk is of "smart sanctions" focused more tightly on banning weapons imports and reducing controls on civilian goods imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The phrase has prompted vice-president Taha Yassin Ramadan to describe the new ideas as "poison". Baghdad nevertheless has reason to be pleased with developments in recent months - including the aftermath of strikes against targets near Baghdad by US and UK aircraft on 16 February. The raids, coming within weeks of George W Bush taking over the US presidency, were the most extensive since December 1998. UK press reports say London made behind-the-scenes efforts in 2000 to tell Baghdad of a greater UK flexibility over sanctions. London was prepared to discuss parts of UN resolution 1284 of two years ago which the Iraqis objected to, offering assurances that sanctions would be suspended if UN weapons inspectors were allowed back. Senior Qatari officials acted as intermediaries. But Saddam Hussain - apparently suspicious of UK intentions and wanting to wait for a new US administration - did not pursue the offer. Former UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office minister Peter Hain said in January that the Iraqi leader would find "reasonable people ready to do business" if he was prepared to negotiate the return of the weapons inspectors. In Washington, the new Bush administration appeared to be taking a tough line, with Secretary of State Colin Powell saying he wanted to "re-energise" sanctions against Baghdad. To everyone's apparent surprise, US and UK aircraft carried out raids on anti-aircraft missile defence facilities near Baghdad on 16 February. Baghdad said at least two civilians were killed. The US and the UK described the raid as routine and defensive, saying that their aircraft had recently come under increasing threat from an improved defence system. US press reports said China has been helping Iraq's air defences by installing underground fibre-optic cables; Beijing and Baghdad strongly denied the allegation. The air raids provoked a wave of criticism around the world, from US allies in Europe, and Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as well as from Russia. The criticism was the strongest in years, and showed the US and the UK to be isolated. The two countries seemed to shift their ground in the week after the raids - suggesting they were prepared to see a relaxation of sanctions. "We will see if there is room to sharpen the sanctions around weapons of mass destruction," John Sawyers, foreign policy adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair, said on 20 February. Blair was due to meet Bush in Washington on 23 February. The sanctions were part of a mix of elements aimed at containing Saddam Hussain, including control of oil revenues, enforcement around Iraq's borders and military posture, he said. "The elements of that containment strategy will be looked at again," he said. Officials in London say Powell's call to "re-energise" sanctions is in line with a shift towards smart sanctions. But they add it is not clear whether his view will prevail over more hawkish members of the Bush administration. Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf was on his way to the UN for a high-level session on the issue scheduled for 26-27 February. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said on 20 February that he hopes to "pursue attempts to break the impasse and pull them [Iraqis] into co-operation with the UN". Source: MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC DIGEST ________________________________________________ Big-power unity seen needed for Iraq talks success. UNITED NATIONS, March 1 (Reuters) - With major Security Council powers at odds over policies toward Iraq, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for unity so he could negotiate properly with Baghdad officials in the future. Reporting on two days of talks with an Iraqi government delegation this week, Annan acknowledged late on Wednesday that no new proposals had emerged to break the impasse over sanctions and U.N. weapons inspections. Instead, the Iraqis had submitted a stack of documents purporting to show why the decade-old sweeping embargoes should be dropped immediately. Given the intense nature of discussions among council members, and U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent trip to the Middle East, Annan said he hoped the 15-member body could agree "on certain critical questions and to restore unity" before his next round of talks in April or May. He spoke to reporters after briefing the Security Council. In response, Russia and France said members had to clarify precisely what Iraq had to do to get a suspension of the sanctions, imposed after Baghdad's troops invaded Kuwait in August 1990. Both countries said the clarifications, including a time frame between arms inspections and the suspension of sanctions, would help Annan in his negotiations. Getting arms inspectors back into Iraq is a key requirement before the sanctions can be lifted or eased further. Iraq has not allowed them to return since they left on the eve of a December 1998 U.S.-British bombing raid. But the five permanent members of the council - the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China - have been unable to agree for years on contentious clarifications, thereby leaving sections of resolutions and vague statements to paper over differences. The last major resolution on Iraq, in December 1999, drew abstentions from Russia and China - and at the last minute from France - as well as a rejection from Baghdad. That document outlined measures toward a suspension of sanctions if Iraq cleared up questions on its weapons of mass destruction. The United States is reviewing its policies toward Baghdad, which might include monitoring its borders and pressuring such countries as Jordan or Turkey to cut brisk illegal trade with Iraq. Powell succeeded in getting Syria to place oil flowing from Iraq under U.N. supervision, which still controls the bulk of Baghdad's oil revenues. Powell also wants to ease sanctions on civilian goods going to Iraq, and remove some of its "holds" on $3 billion dollars worth of supplies for infrastructure repairs, which Washington had promised to do nearly a year ago. But so far diplomats say Powell's attempts to seek a common ground with France have been unsuccessful following months of strained relations between Washington and Paris on this issue. Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, who led the delegation to New York, rejected weapons inspections but said he might agree to non-intrusive monitoring if other countries in the region submitted to the same, starting with Israel. But British Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said the goal of a Middle East without dangerous arms was "an aspiration." The council had to focus on Iraq first because "that is the business where there is a real security threat." Confident it has Arab opinion on its side, the Iraqi delegation on Monday and Tuesday alternated from anti-U.S. rhetoric to conciliatory words about seeking a way out of the deadlock. Al-Sahaf characterized Powell's comments to rethink sanctions and ease the sufferings of ordinary Iraqis as "rubbish," and a "stupid" ploy to deceive public opinion. Several diplomats, however, said he left his supporters with little positive news, such as movement on the fate on missing Kuwaitis during Iraq's 1990 occupation of the emirate. _____________________________________ Iraqi minister meets UN Security Council president, comments on embargo. Source: Republic of Iraq Radio, Baghdad, in Arabic 1130 gmt 27 Feb 01 Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id al-Sahhaf met with Ambassador Said Ben Mustapha, president of the [UN] Security Council and permanent Tunisian representative to the UN. In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency, the foreign minister said he gave a documented review of the Iraqi position on the relationship between Iraq and the Security Council. Iraq asked the Security Council to fulfil its obligations stipulated in relevant resolutions now that Iraq has fulfilled all its obligations as stipulated in Security Council resolutions. In statements to reporters at the conclusion of the meeting, Al-Sahhaf said he agreed with the Security Council president to meet with him again at the end of the current Iraqi-UN dialogue sessions. He added: The proposal that Iraq presented at the dialogue with the UN secretary-general incorporated a detailed review of Iraq's position over the past 10 years in order to find a way out of the crisis that the Security Council created when it adopted Resolution 1284. Asked about disarmament, the foreign minister said Iraq demands the implementation of Resolution 687 and demands that this resolution apply to the entire Middle East region, making it free of weapons of mass destruction. This should apply to everyone because only then can the continuous monitoring regime return to work in Iraq. Al-Sahhaf ridiculed the so-called "smart sanctions". He said: They call them smart, which means that since 1990 these sanctions have been stupid. This is an attempt to deceive the world public opinion as well as the Security Council. These sanctions are mainly intended to divert attention from what Iraq has achieved over the past 10 years. They are an attempt to reword Resolution 687 in order to overlook Iraq's legitimate right to have the embargo lifted. Al-Sahhaf explained that another series of dialogue sessions with the UN General Secretariat will be held at a later stage. For his part, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a brief statement to reporters that the talks with the Iraqi delegation were held in a good spirit and that he will brief the Security Council on the results of these talks, but he did not specify a time frame. In the same vein, Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id al-Sahhaf announced that arms inspectors will never return to Iraq again, even if the embargo is lifted. In statements to reporters before the start of the second dialogue session, he said that lifting the embargo must be unconditional because Iraq has fulfilled all its obligations towards the Security Council resolutions. He added: Paragraph 14 of Resolution 687 clearly stipulates that what applies to Iraq applies to other states in the region, meaning the Zionist entity as well as all the other states in the region. Al-Sahhaf said: The Zionist entity has a nuclear arsenal as well as an arsenal of other kinds of weapons. ______________________________________ Saddam Husayn says Iraq's "means defeat breaking the Arab nation". Source: Iraqi TV, Baghdad, in Arabic 1800 gmt 27 Feb 01 President Saddam Husayn has said that the USA and Israel "are one thing" and that the Arabs "should base their strategy on this fact". Addressing the Atomic Energy Organization and defence officials, he noted that in defending itself, "Iraq is defending" the Arab world. The following is excerpt from a report by Iraqi TV on 27 February His Excellency leader President Saddam Husayn, may God protect him, has met Dr Fadil Muslim Abd al-Janabi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization; Staff Lt-Gen Shahin Yasin Muhammad, commander of the Air Defence; and a number of researchers and technicians from the Atomic Energy Organization and the Air Defence... His excellency, may God protect him, said: The Air Defence fighters consider themselves the most involved in the battle to defend the homeland at this stage, and may God bless you all. The strategic point, on which we base our work, is that we tell all enemies of the Arab nation and the enemies of Iraq that the enemies of Iraq are the enemies of the Arab nation. This is a declared point and is not concealed. We are not ashamed of it; on the contrary, we are full of pride about it. We have talked time and again about the reasons for such a statement, which may be made on various occasions and times. There are several Arab countries that may have enemies, who are not particularly determined to be the enemies of the Arab nation all the time. But the enemies of Iraq are determined to be the enemies of the Arab nation by being enemies of Iraq. This is because breaking Iraq would in one way or another lead to breaking the Arab nation, or at least to weakening it, in view of the role Iraq represents in it. When the role Iraq plays at a certain phase is significant, then breaking Iraq means breaking the Arab nation. When that role - and I mean its level of influence and ability to play a leading role in the Arab nation - is reduced, then breaking Iraq means weakening the Arab nation. In this context, Iraq's traditional and firm enemies are the enemies of the Arab nation. Despite that, this general title can be divided into two metaphorical subtitles. While this generation and we are still alive, they cannot even dream that we will give them Iraq. Here, we mean the enemies of Iraq, in the context of this metaphorical separation between the two subtitles. However, they are one title, as we have said, but we can metaphorically speak about the enemies of Iraq and the enemies of the Arab nation, although they are one enemy. When we speak about the enemies of Iraq, this means the enemies of the Arab nation. When we speak about the enemies of the Arab nation, we mean the enemies of Iraq. This is because Iraq is in the heart, mind, and chest of the Arab nation. Therefore, we would also like to tell the enemies of the Arab nation that Iraq - as long as it exists and continues to play a pioneering role as predestined by God - will not give the enemies the opportunity to harm any part of the Arab nation without expecting a reaction from Iraq in proportion with this harm. This is the strategic principle of our defensive policy. Even if those who defend their nation attack the enemies who try to desecrate the sanctity of the nation and violate its sovereignty and security, then what they are doing is a defensive offensive. If one fights from trenches when he is attacked at a particular stage, then this is also self-defence through which we do not seek to harm anyone except those who harm us or our nation's sovereignty, security, dignity, or interests. So, the bottom line is to defend Iraq. In so doing, we defend the Arab nation as we are bound by a common fate. We are not at all seeking to build up weapons or look for the most harmful weapons, as those scurrilous ones, notably the Americans, in the world do to harm humanity. However, we will never hesitate to possess the weapons to defend Iraq and the Arab nation. Therefore, when you develop the air defences to render them capable of shooting down the enemies' jets despite all the development the enemies introduced to the electronic equipment of these jets, you will then be said to have achieved the goal: defending Iraq, which is the chest of the Arab nation. This is not a reference to the organs of the human body because Iraq is a mind, chest and an arm. All are protected by the live consciousness and the heart that believes in Almighty God. Garnering your support, with all your specialities under all designations, is intended to make the enemy feel that it will pay a high price if it continues to harm Iraq. This is the major point in the operations in this stage. His excellency continued his speech, saying: I swear to God that even if we fight the devils of heaven or those on the earth, we will not allow them - as long as we are alive - to harm Iraq or the Arab nation. We tell those concerned in this or that area that if they indeed want Iraq to have a role in defending them, they should hear this and understand it very well. This is our right and we are one nation. I say that any attempt to harm any part of the nation from the east to the west of the Arab world concerns us and hurts our hearts and conscience It also hurts us so deeply if we are not in a position that allows us to do our part towards the Arab nation, as it wanted us to be, because we, the sons, must be obedient. They should understand this very well, so that they will not exhaust themselves and aggravate our wounds. The utmost they can do is aggravating our wounds. They cannot discourage the Iraqi giant - which has stood on its feet, whose basis is great faith, and which understands that it will inevitably cross to the other bank - from achieving its goal. This is because these are not the words of Saddam Husayn alone. It could be true that these were the words of Saddam Husayn and a few number of people in the past. A this stage, however, these have become the words of the illiterate housewife, along with the university professors or the female who holds a high scientific degree. These are also the words of the illiterate peasant, fighters in the armed forces, artists in society, prominent educated people, university professors and state employees. They should understand this very well so that they will not exhaust themselves. As far as we are concerned, they cannot do anything other than aggravating our wounds. The wound which does not kill us will strengthen us. No wounds will kill us, God willing. Our wounds give us the strength to resist and add up to our experience. But, why do they exhaust themselves and make the Arab nation hate them more and more? The Arab nation and other nations hate them now. Have you ever seen a super power that reduces the number of its embassies in the entire world for fear or attacks on them, not only in the Arab homeland but also in the entire world? Thus, they should wake up and realize that they have become the most hated in the world. Their only rival in this regard is Zionism, which practically moves the leaders of the White House, which is white in form and black in terms of action. The United States and Israel are one thing now. Some Arabs used to think that the United States was something and Israel something else. But we say that the two are one thing. The Arabs should base their strategy on this fact. They want the United States to act as a judge in favour of Israel. This is not the will of the Arabs. The rulers of the United States have become a toy in the hands of the Zionist octopus, which has created the midget Zionist entity at the expense of Arabs in occupied Palestine. There are no old people among you. However, there are youths from the first generation and youths from the second generation. All Iraqis are youths, but they belong to different generations. We say that this is the first generation and that is the second or third generation. However, they are all, men and women, youths in terms of combat and construction duties and other duties. We seek to psychologically harm the enemy when we say to it: You are fighting a sea of youths. You can see one side of this sea but you can never see the other side. You will see how proud the coming generations are of you and of your creative efforts in terms of protecting Iraq and building a high bulwark to defend the Arab nation. May God be praised for this. May God bless the youths of the Atomic Energy and the Air Defence. May God bless the Iraqis. Thank you. _______________________________________ To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Your use of Yahoo! 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