The Hindu : U.N. to vote on new Iraqi sanctions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 15, 2002

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International

U.N. to vote on new Iraqi sanctions

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

UNITED NATIONS MAY 14 . A formal vote by the United Nations Security Council on the revamped Iraqi sanctions was postponed on Monday after the Syrian delegate asked for one extra day to consult with his Government.

The vote is now scheduled for later today and is expected to pass easily, with only Syria voting against the measure or abstaining. The U.S. and Britain are hoping that the new sanctions regime will pass 15 to 0.

On Monday afternoon, the Council postponed the vote, but not before a series of amendments put forth by Syria were rejected.

One such amendment was the right of self-defence of a member state in the face of attack — a reference to the threat of the U.S. to forcibly remove Saddam Hussein from power if he did not allow weapons inspectors back into the country. Damascus maintained that its amendment had to do with the no-fly zones currently enforced by the U.S. and Britain.

When passed, the new Resolution will extend the current oil-for-food programme for another period of six months. But by far the biggest change in the sanctions regime is its inclusion of public services, such as education and water supplies.

The document contains a lengthy list of goods that should have review and approval before shipment to Iraq; but the Council is placing no constraints on the shipment of humanitarian goods.

Some Council members, such as the U.S., have been wary of some of the items requested by Iraq on grounds that they have potential military uses. The U.S. has held up an estimated $5 billions in contracts.

At the start of the U.S. President, George W. Bush's administration, there was an intention to impose "smart sanctions" on Iraq; but Moscow insisted that while keeping pressure on Baghdad, there would have to be a let-up in other areas.

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