ACCESSION
ACCESSION NUMBER:229105
FILE ID:PO-303
DATE:05/27/92
TITLE:UNITED NATIONS REPORT, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 (05/27/92)
TEXT:*92052703.POL
UNITED NATIONS REPORT, WEDNESDAY, MAY 27
(Iraq, Serbia) (550)
U.N. CONTINUES SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ
The Security Council agreed May 27 that Iraq's compliance with the U.N.
cease-fire terms is insufficient to remove or ease any of the wide-ranging
military and economic sanctions in place for the past 22 months.
Emerging from a private meeting of the council, Austrian Ambassador Peter
Hohenfellner, president of the council, issued a statement on behalf of the
15 members saying he "concluded that there still was no agreement that the
necessary conditions existed for a modification of the (sanctions) regime
established in paragraph 20 of resolution 687 of 1991...."
Diplomats said all council members agreed that Iraq has still not fulfilled
any of the cease-fire requirements, including submitting a full and
complete disclosure of its weapons programs, selling oil to pay reparations
and pay for humanitarian supplies, and accepting the U.N.'s long-term
weapons monitoring.
Ambassador Rolf Ekeus, chairman of the Special Commission overseeing the
destruction of Iraq's chemical, biological, nuclear and ballistic weapons,
told journalists following the council meeting that Iraq still hasn't
revealed all its weapons capabilities and the United Nations has "reason to
be suspicious."
"We're now at a stage where we believe we have destroyed what they have
declared," Ekeus said. "But there remains a ballistic missile capability
hidden and undeclared and we have to take that very seriously."
Ekeus said that Iraq has deliberately misled the Special Commission and has
actively falsified evidence about its weapons programs. Baghdad has on
occasion deliberately interfered with the U.N. inspections. The only
"glimmer of light," he said, was a letter to the commission that the final
disclosure report was "ready and can be picked up."
Nevertheless, the ambassador said that the report will have to be thoroughly
1eviewed before the commission can make an assessment for the Security
Council.
SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSING SANCTIONS AGAINST SERBIA
Members of the Security Council May 27 began discussing the elements of a
resolution that would impose sanctions against Serbia.
Meeting outside the council chambers, European and U.S. diplomats worked on
a first draft of the resolution outlining the kinds of sanctions and a
timetable, which they will present to the other council members.
A report on the humanitarian situation in the former Yugoslav republics by
Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali is expected to be given to the
council May 28.
British Ambassador David Hannay said he hopes the council will be ready to
vote on sanctions by May 29. The council imposed an arms embargo on the
republics in 1991.
Hannay said that council members were dissatisfied with the "inadequate
response" the United Nations received from Belgrade officials on problems
the U.N. peace-keepers are encountering. Council members also feel that
the situation in Bosnia-Hercegovina is "at a very serious state," he said,
"and the Security Council must assert its authority in this matter and must
try to prevent the carnage from continuing."
The British envoy said that an oil embargo is one of the measures under
consideration. "Thought was being given to a two-stage approach" that
would impose limited sanctions that would be expanded to an oil embargo if
the fighting continued, he added.
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