15 January 2002
Text: UN Security Council Lifts Sanctions on Afghanistan's Airline
(Council votes unanimously for Resolution 1388) (400)
United Nations -- The UN Security Council January 15 voted unanimously
to end sanctions imposed on Ariana Afghan Airlines more than two years
ago.
In a short meeting devoid of speeches, the council noted that
Afghanistan's national airlines is no longer owned, leased, or
operated by or on behalf of the Taliban, and therefore the sanctions
first applied on the airline in 1999 are no longer necessary.
The council imposed a flight ban on Ariana Airlines along with
freezing the financial assets of the Taliban in October 1999 after the
Taliban refused to comply with a council resolution demanding that it
cease support of terrorism and expel Usama bin Laden so that he could
stand trial for the bombing of two U.S. embassies in East Africa. In
December 2000 the sanctions were increased requiring nations to close
the airlines' offices around the world.
Council President Jagdish Koonjul of Mauritius said that the
resolution was "a way to send the right signal to the Afghan people
that the Security Council will be with the Afghan population once the
Taliban, the al Qaeda, and all have been chased away from
Afghanistan."
The council is planning on passing another, more comprehensive
resolution later in the month when the resolution covering the wide
range of sanctions imposed against the Taliban-governed Afghanistan is
due to expire.
Following is the text of the resolution:
(begin text)
Resolution 1388
The Security Council,
Recalling its resolutions 1267 (1999) of 15 October 1999 and 1333
(2000) of 19 December 2000.
Noting that Ariana Afghan Airlines is no longer owned, leased or
operated by or on behalf of the Taliban, nor are its funds and other
financial resources owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by
the Taliban.
Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations,
1. Decides that the provisions of paragraph 4 (a) and (b) of
resolution 1267 (1999) do not apply to Ariana Afghan Airlines aircraft
or Ariana Afghan Airlines funds and other financial resources;
2. Decides to terminate the measure provided for by paragraph 8 (b) of
resolution 1333 (2000);
3. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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