U.N. drops vote on plan to revamp Iraq sanctions

UNITED NATIONS, JULY 3. Confronted by a veto threat from Russia, the U.N. Security Council members agreed to drop for now a U.S.- British plan to revamp sanctions against Iraq and instead extend the U.N. humanitarian programme without changes.

Britain, which drafted the resolution on the plan, yesterday told Council members that in light of Russia's objections, the U.N. oil-for-food programme should be extended for five months. It is circulating a draft to this effect for a vote today, when the current phase of the programme expires, the envoys said.

The oil-for-food plan allows Baghdad to sell oil to buy a wide range of civilian supplies under U.N. control to ease the impact of the sanctions, imposed when Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990.

The delay - or perhaps indefinite postponement - of the U.S.- British plan to overhaul the sanctions is a blow for the United States, which has attempted to plug holes in the embargo and at the same time ease the import of civilian goods to Iraq, which now go through cumbersome procedures.

Russia, an ally of Iraq, has opposed the so-called ``smart sanctions'' from the start, saying they do not move the Council closer to suspending the sanctions. Moscow's Foreign Minister in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of State, Gen. Colin Powell, last week threatened to veto the plan if it were put to a vote.

When the Council failed to reach agreement on a draft resolution for a sanctions overhaul in June, the programme was extended until July 3. In effect, Tuesday's planned resolution gives Iraq a six-month extension, in line with past practice.

Iraq on June 4 cut off oil sales supplies to the U.N. programme to protest consideration of the U.S.-British proposals and threatened to do the same to Jordan and Turkey if they cooperated with the U.S. and Britain. It is not clear what Baghdad will do now.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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