30 September 1998
Press Release
GA/9459
UNSCOM NOT REPORTING FACTS ABOUT IRAQI COMPLIANCE WITH COUNCIL RULES, IRAQ FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS, WELCOMING REVIEW UNDER SECRETARY-GENERAL
19980930
The United Nations Special Commission established by the Security Council to oversee the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM) and the Commission's Chairman were operating under the influence of an arrogant, powerful State, which was pursuing political aims not connected with the decisions of the Security Council, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, Mohammed Said Al-Sahaf, told the General Assembly this morning.
As the general debate continued, he said that the Commission was not reporting the facts about Iraq's fulfilment of its obligations to the Council. His country had, therefore, suspended cooperation with the Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). As a way out of the current impasse, Iraq welcomed the Secretary-General's proposal for a comprehensive review of sanctions by the Security Council. Iraq was willing to participate in a fair review conducted under the personal supervision of the Secretary-General.
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General Assembly Plenary - 5 - Press Release GA/9459 21st Meeting (AM) 30 September 1998
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MOHAMMED SAID AL-SAHAF, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iraq, said reform of the Security Council was an urgent necessity, if the control which a few States had over it were to end. The Council should represent the true state of international reality. Without reforms, it would be impossible to
General Assembly Plenary - 6 - Press Release GA/9459 21st Meeting (AM) 30 September 1998
achieve the purposes and principles set out in the Charter regarding maintaining security and peace, promoting economic and social development, and strengthening international cooperation.
International peace and security were being affected by illogical, non-objective and discriminatory attitude towards the disarmament issues, especially towards the issue of nuclear disarmament, he said. Some States maintained huge arsenals of weapons of mass destruction, while others were being disarmed under different pretexts. To resolve the issue, relevant international treaties and agreements must be applied in a comprehensive manner, without resort to selective and discriminatory actions.
The situation in the Middle East demonstrated a very serious imbalance of power, he said. Failing to comply with relevant Security Council resolutions, the Zionist entity possessed a huge arsenal of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, including long-range missiles. Such a situation showed disregard for the efforts of the General Assembly to free the Middle East from weapons of mass destruction and encouraged an arms race, which threatened peace and security in the region, and in the whole world. On the blockade against Iraq, now entering its ninth year, every month caused the deaths of thousands of Iraqi citizens due to lack of medicine and food, he said. It had also led to the grave deterioration in the infrastructure of the country. Security Council resolution 687 (1991) contained two sets of obligations: the first one demanded compliance by Iraq, and the second required the Security Council to lift the blockade when Iraq had met its obligations. The resolution required disarmament on the part of Iraq and provided for the establishment of a system of monitoring and verification of compliance.
Throughout the past seven and a half years, Iraq had cooperated with the Security Council, the United Nations Special Commission set up under Security Council resolution 687 (1991) in connection with the disposal of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (UNSCOM), and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said. As an expression of its good faith and in order to ensure the lifting of the blockade, Iraq had met all the conditions imposed on it. All the prohibited weapons had been destroyed, along with the plants, installations and equipment related to those weapons. Since 1994, the comprehensive system of monitoring had been in place. At present, Iraq was incapable of resuming the production of prohibited weapons. However, the Security Council had taken no action to implement its own obligations towards Iraq as prescribed in article 22 of the above-mentioned resolution.
For political reasons, UNSCOM and its Chairman refrained from reporting to the Security Council the facts about Iraq's fulfilment of its obligations. Both UNSCOM and its Chairman operated under the influence of an arrogant, powerful State, which was pursuing its own political aims driven by ulterior motives which had nothing to do with the decisions of the Security Council.
General Assembly Plenary - 7 - Press Release GA/9459 21st Meeting (AM) 30 September 1998
The prejudiced attitudes on the part of the Special Commission and its Chairman were unacceptable, he continued. The attitude had led to an impasse which kept turning the situation in a vicious circle. Iraq had, therefore, been obliged to suspend cooperation with UNSCOM and the IAEA.
To find a way out, he said, Iraq had welcomed a proposal for a comprehensive review, which had been submitted by the Secretary-General to the Security Council last August. Such a review was a legal and moral obligation, which the Security Council was duty-bound to discharge. However, the 40 reviews that had been carried out so far had been mere formalities. They had been arbitrary and far from comprehensive in character. Iraq was willing to participate in a new review, and it had an inalienable right to do so. He hoped that the review would be carried out without delay, and that it would be comprehensive, honest and fair. Iraq also hoped that it would be conducted under the personal supervision of the Secretary-General.
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