>disappointment and frustration, the Saudi and Kuwaiti regimes continue to >offer support to their US and UK masters in a desperate attempt to strike at >the will of the Iraqis, who are defying their treacherous aggression and >unjust siege with rare courage. >In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency, a spokesman for the Air Defence >Command said: At 1950 [1550 gmt] on 22nd September and 1105 today [23rd >September], US-UK ravens violated our airspace and carried out 67 air >sorties backed by an AWACS from the Saudi airspace, and 10 sorties backed by >an A-2C from the Kuwaiti airspace. They flew over areas in the governorates >of Basra, Dhi Qar, Al-Muthanna, Maysan, Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Najaf, and the >western area. Our heroic missile forces and valiant ground defences >confronted them and forced them to leave our airspace back to the bases of >defeat in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. >With this, the spokesman said, the number of sorties carried out by the >ravens since Conquest Day on 17th December 1998 until the making of this >statement amounts to 12,818 sorties from Saudi airspace, and 6,972 from >Kuwaiti airspace. He added that the overall number of sorties carried out >from Saudi, Kuwaiti and Turkish airspace has reached 24,764. > >Islamist opposition reports missile attack on presidential palace - Kuna >Text of report by Kuwaiti news agency Kuna web site on 24th September >Vienna, 24th September: An Iraqi opposition organization today said that the >Presidential Office in Baghdad has recently instructed its various security >agencies to be very cautious and alert and to increase the number of guards >around the palaces and offices of the head of the regime and his entourage >after a presidential palace was exposed to a second missile attack on 17th >September. >In a statement, a copy of which Kuna has received, the Supreme Council of >the Islamic Revolution in Iraq [SCIRI] said that the regime alerted riflemen >throughout Baghdad. Large-scale search campaigns took place in the city's >streets over the past few days and all roads leading to the capital were >closed in an attempt to reduce such attacks. As a result of these campaigns, >traffic was obstructed. >Regarding the details of the recent missile attack on the presidential >palace, SCIRI quoted its sources in Baghdad as saying that the firing of the >missiles was so fast that the regime's security men were confused. The >palace's vehicles continued to carry tens of the killed and wounded from >inside the palace to hospitals in fast vehicles without using the sirens. > >`Official source` denies imminent attack on Kurdish areas >Text of report by London-based newspaper 'Al-Sharq al-Awsat' web site on >24th September >An Iraqi official source has confirmed that his country's forces, which are >stationed on the border of Kurdish-controlled areas, have raised their state >of military alert. But, he denied that the purpose of this step was to >attack Al-Sulaymaniyah Governorate, which is controlled by the Patriotic >Union of Kurdistan under the leadership of Jalal Talabani. >The source was speaking to `Al-Sharq al-Awsat' in the Jordanian capital in >reply to a statement released by the opposition Iraqi Communist Party >accusing Baghdad of preparing to attack the northern areas, especially >Al-Sulaymaniyah. The party said: "Sources linked to the regime's departments >and the areas close to the Kurdish borders" have spoken "about the >government's intention to launch a hostile attack on the Kurdistan areas >that are outside its control, especially the area and City of >Al-Sulaymaniyah". > >FRANCE DEFIES UN SANCTIONS ON IRAQ BY SENDING PLANE PARIS REFUSED TO DELAY >HUMANITARIAN MISSION >From CHICAGO TRIBUNE, September 23rd, 2000 >A French plane broke new ground Friday in the campaign against United >Nations sanctions on Iraq by becoming the first allied aircraft in a decade >to land in Baghdad without approval from the world body. >The chartered flight carrying some 60 physicians, athletes and artists from >Paris arrived at Saddam International Airport, having ignored a request from >the United States, Britain and the UN sanctions committee in New York to >wait for clearance. >"It's the only instance I can remember of a flight being notified to the >committee but then going against the procedures of the committee to wait for >24 hours," Britain's UN Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said in New York. He >called it "a pity." Netherlands' UN Ambassador Peter van Walsum, who chairs >the sanctions committee, said he expects the Security Council to discuss the >matter. A meeting was expected next week. >French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said the flight "was >essentially to send doctors and surgeons to Iraq" and should not be confused >with regular civilian flights, which sanctions prohibited. >"This is absolutely not a violation of the embargo," Rivasseau said. >U.S. deputy Ambassador James Cunningham disagreed. He told the Security >Council during a discussion on the French flight "that this is a violation >of the sanctions regime, something that we deeply regret." Most of the >French athletes on board the flight were in-line skaters from Paris. A dozen >put on a lively display of their skills in front of the Boeing 737 plane. >An Iraqi Olympic Committee official, Hussein Saeed, welcomed the French >group, saying they had taken "a big initiative in breaking the embargo" >imposed on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. >France informed the UN sanctions committee on Iraq late Thursday that the >flight would be taking off early Friday; it refused to delay the flight for >an additional 12 hours so the issue could be studied. >France's UN Ambassador Jean-David Levitte said in a letter circulated to >Security Council members Friday that his government acted entirely within >the sanctions committee's regulations, emphasizing that only >notification--not UN authorization--was needed. >Britain and the U.S. said they hadn't objected to the French flight, but had >asked for a delay to find out details of the passengers and its humanitarian >purpose. >Russia sent a similar flight to Iraq last Sunday and received committee >approval--though its passengers included oil executives seeking deals in >Baghdad. It was the second Russian plane to land in Iraq since Baghdad >reopened its international airport last month. >Russia's deputy UN ambassador, Gennadi Gatilov, informed the Security >Council on Friday that it plans another flight Saturday and had already >notified the committee, Levitte said. >The increased flights with their questionable passenger lists and >last-minute notifications are an indication of the growing challenge to >sanctions, which critics maintain hurt the Iraqi people. >Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said Thursday there could be no letup >on sanctions. >"It is our responsibility to hold the line and to make the sanction system >work," Albright said. She did not mention the French flight. >The French visitors belong to an anti-sanctions group called the French >Office for the Development of Industry and Culture. They plan to spend three >to four days in Iraq. >The Russian plan due to arrive Saturday will carry 80 people, according to a >spokesman for Russia's Central Fuel Co. >Russian officials have said Moscow would not directly violate sanctions. > > >Iraq's U.N. allies launch campaign to chip away at sanctions >UNITED NATIONS (AP) _ Iraq's U.N. allies have launched a campaign to chip >away at sanctions imposed 10 years ago _ sending flights to Baghdad in >defiance of the United States and Britain and demanding cuts in Iraqi >payments to Gulf War victims. >The strategy by Baghdad's three key supporters on the Security Council _ >Russia, China and France _ appears aimed at overcoming the deep divisions >among council members that have stymied their efforts to ease the impact of >trade sanctions on Iraq. >Russia sent a humanitarian flight to Baghdad on Saturday, its second in a >week. It received authorization from the U.N. committee monitoring sanctions >against Iraq for the first flight on Sept. 17. >But Saturday's flight, carrying 143 passengers and medical supplies, went >ahead without committee approval. >Ignoring objections from Washington and London, France sent a passenger >flight to Baghdad on Friday, insisting there is no flight embargo, and >France's U.N. Ambassador Jean-David Levitte said ``there will be other >flights.'' There was no immediate response to the Russian flight. But >calling the French action ``a violation of the sanctions regime,'' U.S. >deputy ambassador James Cunningham said ``we would hope it doesn't happen >again, but I don't have any confidence in that.'' U.S. State Department >spokesman Richard Boucher went further, calling France's flight _ the first >in a decade to land in Baghdad without the approval of the United Nations _ >a ``blatant violation'' of sanctions and established U.N. procedures. >``London's reaction is one of surprise and regret that the French have not >waited for a decision from the committee,'' said Britain's U.N. Ambassador >Jeremy Greenstock. >Russia and France insist they are not violating sanctions, and are following >U.N. procedures. >Levitte said Paris has for many years considered that there is no embargo on >passenger or humanitarian flights to Iraq _ and the only requirement is to >inform the sanctions committee, which France did. Russia takes a similar >view. >Russia's deputy U.N. ambassador Gennadi Gatilov said his government notified >the sanctions committee 10 days ago about the planned flight carrying >humanitarian supplies _ but was not seeking authorization. >``From the legal point of view, we believe we have the right to send it,'' >he told The Associated Press. >Russia's state-controlled airline Aeroflot is also negotiating with Iraq on >resuming flights to Baghdad, and Jordan is reportedly also considering >resuming air service. > >Official figures announced on troops killed during war with Iraq >Text of report in English by Iranian news agency IRNA Tehran, 23rd >September: Director-General of the Statistics and Information Department at >the Islamic Revolution Martyr's Foundation (IRMF) Hadi Qalamnevis said here >on Saturday [23rd September] that Iran lost 188,015 forces during the Iraqi >imposed war (1980-88). > >Qalamnevis told IRNA that 171,235 out of the total had lost their >lives in battle fronts and 16,780 as a result of air raids on the >residential areas. He put the age group of martyrs as follows: 44 per cent >between 16 and 20 years old, 30 per cent between 21 and 25 years old, eight >per cent between 26 and 30 years old and the rest in other age groups. He >said the martyrs at the age of 20 constituted 14 per cent of total. The >average age among the group of martyrs was about 23, he said. > >Qalamnevis said 43 per cent of martyrs had been Basiji (volunteers), 19 per >cent from the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), 23 per cent from the >Islamic Republic Army, 2.8 per cent from the Law Enforcement Forces (LEF) >and 1.2 per cent from the Construction Jihad. > >Russian oil company to organize international conference on Iraq >Text of report in English by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS >Moscow, 22nd September: A Russian-Iraqi cooperation committee having close >links to a Moscow-based fuel company is planning to convene aninternational >conference on Iraq in November or December. >"The Russian-Iraqi committee for cultural, scientific and business > cooperation is going to invite as many guests to Moscow as possible for a >very representative forum," Yevgeniy Yagubets, spokesman for the Central >Fuel Company (CFC), told ITAR-TASS yesterday. > >Russia rules out early resumption of regular flights to Iraq. >AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2000 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD >Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has said that the direct flight by a >Russian aircraft to Baghdad, Iraq on 17 September does not mean the start >of regular air traffic between the two countries. Ivanov said that there was >nothing unusual about the flight, which was chartered by the Russian company >Stroitransgaz to take humanitarian cargo to Iraq, and that the media had >deliberately exaggerated it into a high-profile event. > >When Ivanov was asked whether regular Moscow-Baghdad-Moscow flights would >be launched, the minister said that the issue would be resolved 'through a >different way'. Ivanov has previously stated that Moscow does not regard >civil aviation flights to Iraq as a violation of the international >sanctions against the country according to Itar-Tass. > > >Iraq opens two refineries with 20,000 bpd capacity >BAGHDAD, Sept 21 (AFP) - Iraq has opened two refineries, each with a >capacity of 10,000 barrels per day (bpd), as part of an expansion project to >boost the country's oil production by 100,000 bpd, newspapers said Thursday. > >The units were opened Wednesday in the town of Biji, 190 kilometres (120 >miles) north of Baghdad, papers said. > >The two refineries have been built and are managed by Iraqi engineers >without external help, despite the embargo imposed on Baghdad by the United >Nations after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, they said. > >MISCELLANY++++++++++++++++++++++++ > >Friends, > >I am the in the process of assembling a FAQ for two fine websites, EPIC and >CASI's, and am wondering if anyone can shed light on two 'controversies' du >jour: the 'humanitarian' experts the GoI has declined to let in the >country; and the cash component question. > >To recap: In his last report on Iraq to the Security Council, Kofi Annan >said the "Government of Iraq has indicated that it does not intend to >cooperate with or issue visas to such experts [to report to the Security >Council on Iraq's humanitarian situation]." > >Anyone have any quotes or information as to the Iraqi govt's stated or >unstated rationales. Annan said these experts had been "selected" but not >"appointed." Whatever that means, it seems the govt had not ruled out >particular individuals, but the whole process. > >I'm also wondering about the 'cash component' Iraq had rejected. I was told >by a UN official that Iraq had agreed to UNICEF handling the cash some >months ago, but then UNICEF demured, stating it lacked the staff and other >resources to administer these funds. > >Anyone else heard or read or thought anything illuminating about the GoI's >stated and unstated rationales for all this; or on the general context? > >Sincerely, > >Jennifer > >-- >----------------------------------------------------------------------- >This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq >For removal from list, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Full details of CASI's various lists can be found on the CASI website: >http://www.casi.org.uk > > >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. 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