• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

23 February 1998

KOFI ANNAN AND IRAQI LEADERS REACH DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO STANDOFF

(UN-Iraqi accord)  (350)
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraq's leadership on
Sunday (2/22/98) concluded an agreement aimed at resolving the
standoff over weapons inspections.
"We have a deal," said United Nations Spokesman Fred Eckhard, who is
travelling with the Secretary-General in Baghdad. In addition to
holding a series of talks with Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz,
the Secretary-General met for three hours on Sunday with President
Saddam Hussein at the Republican Palace in Baghdad.
According to Mr. Eckhard, the agreement fulfills the principal
objectives the Secretary-General had from the outset: ensuring respect
for the Security Council resolutions governing the inspection regime
in Iraq, and preserving the integrity of the United Nations Special
Commission (UNSCOM) charged with overseeing the disarmament of Iraq's
weapons of mass destruction.
The Secretary-General is scheduled to fly to Paris on Monday after
signing the agreement. From there, he will proceed to New York to
brief the Security Council. Mr. Eckhard said that the
Secretary-General expects that the agreement will be acceptable to all
members of the Council.
While in Baghdad, the Secretary-General was in telephone contact with
a number of world leaders, including representatives of all five
permanent members of the Security Council. On Saturday (2/21/98), Mr.
Annan met with Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Envoy,
Viktor Posuvalyuk, as well as the country's Ambassador, Nikolai
Kartouzov. He also met members of the diplomatic corps accredited in
Baghdad.
The meetings on weapons inspections were not linked to talks scheduled
for Monday (2/23/98) on the "oil-for-food" programme for Iraq. On
Friday (2/20/98), the Security Council expanded the oil-for-food
programme, authorizing Iraq to sell $5.2 billion worth of oil every
six months -- up from $2 billion under previous arrangements. The
expansion will take effect only after the Secretary-General has
approved a distribution plan submitted by Iraq.