22 October 1997
U.S. EXPECTS STRONG STANCE AGAINST IRAQ
(Security Council considering resolution on Iraqi weapons) (630) By Judy Aita USIA United Nations Correspondent United Nations -- U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson said October 22 that the United States and Britain have negotiated "a strong resolution that deals with Iraqi non-compliance" on the destruction of its weapons programs. The United States and Britain have been pressing to impose additional sanctions on Iraq for its interference with the U.N. Special Commission on the destruction of Iraqi weapons (UNSCOM) inspections and continued withholding of information from UNSCOM. However, Russia and France, both of whom as permanent council members can veto any resolution, have been opposed to imposing sanctions at this time, preferring to wait until the next UNSCOM/sanctions review in April 1998. Iraqi Ambassador Nizar Hamdoon told him that if the council imposes additional sanctions on Iraq, Baghdad will stop cooperating with the U.N. Richardson told journalists outside the council that he would be formally presenting the U.S. negotiated draft resolution to the council and expected the council would be ready to vote on October 23. "We have a basis for a strong resolution. It's going to be formally tabled today and hopefully concluded tomorrow," Richardson said. "But it's not over yet. "The resolution sets a clear standard for UNSCOM's access to Iraqi facilities -- immediate, unconditional, and unrestricted," Richardson said. "The resolution makes clear what will happen if Iraq fails to comply," he said. "The council will impose sanctions on Iraqi officials responsible for non-compliance dating back to last June. It sets a mechanism by which UNSCOM must make a report on Iraqi compliance -- possibly triggering sanctions." "The resolution also starts the process of imposing sanctions by deciding that the council will begin now to draw up lists of Iraqi officials whose travel will be prevented" if sanctions are imposed, the ambassador said. "If Iraq continues to refuse to cooperate, sanctions can be applied immediately, with immediate effect and not waiting for administrative preparation," Richardson pointed out. State Department spokesman James Rubin said October 21 that Secretary of State Madeleine Albright spoke with French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine and sent a message to Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov "to try to achieve the maximum support for the maximally strong resolution." "The Security Council has been unanimous in its demand that Iraq comply with its demands. So we want to keep as much unanimity as possible," Rubin said. A major issue during the current review is Iraq's continuing attempts to block inspections. It reached serious proportions in June when Iraqi officials aboard U.N. helicopters took action to prevent the weapons inspectors from landing at specific sites, endangering all on board. Iraq also denied the team access to three sites designated for inspection and refused to allow the team to interview Iraqi personnel. In late June, the council adopted resolution 1115 demanding that Iraq allow U.N. weapons inspectors immediate and unconditional access to all sites and records the inspectors wish to see. The council warned that it would impose additional sanctions if Iraqi authorities continue to block U.N. weapons inspections. However, the problem has not abated with six serious incidents in a two-week period at the end of September, according to UNSCOM Chairman Richard Butler. Bulter also told the council that despite Iraq's cooperation on several aspects of the plan to destroy all the banned weapons programs, UNSCOM still has serious concerns that not all prohibited chemical, biological, and ballistic weapons have been accounted for and disposed. The written report from Butler released earlier in October said that it "strongly believes that relevant materials and documents remain in Iraq and that there have been highly coordinated actions designed to mislead the commission."
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