Iraq's Strong Reaction to the UNSC Sanctions Review
Iraq News MAY 5, 1998
By Laurie MylroieThe central focus of Iraq News is the tension between the considerable, proscribed WMD capabilities that Iraq is holding on to and its increasing stridency that it has complied with UNSCR 687 and it is time to lift sanctions. If you wish to receive Iraq News by email, a service which includes full-text of news reports not archived here, send your request to Laurie Mylroie .
I. RCC-BATH PARTY LEADERSHIP LETTER TO UNSC, IRAQ TV, MAY 1
II. RAMADAN, THIS LETTER IS NOT FOR YEARS OR MONTHS, REUTERS, MAY 4
Last Monday's sanctions review was preceded by numerous Iraqi
statements to the effect that if that review did not pave the way for
the quick lifting of sanctions, another crisis would follow [see "Iraq
News," Apr 16, 17, 24, & 30].
On Fri, May 1, the Revolutionary Command Council and Bath party
leadership issued Iraq's formal reply to the Apr 27 review. The
statement was issued as an open letter to the UNSC and was broadcast
over Iraqi television. It was very strong, also very cryptic. Iraq is
threatening something serious, but what is unclear. "Iraq News" invites
suggestions for possible scenarios from readers.
The statement began with a Koranic verse, "Go both of you to Pharaoh,
for he has indeed transgressed all bounds." Islam recognizes Moses as a
prophet, seeing Moses as a direct channel for God's authority in
punishing injustice and illegitimate human authority--Pharoah. Khomeyni
used that symbolism against the Shah, with the slogan, "For every
Pharaoh there is a Moses." The text of the Iraqi statement, following,
suggests that Saddam sees himself in the same vein.
The statement explained, "Wars in general happen primarily either
because of a maximum feeling of injustice, making war the only means to
remove the injustice, or so it appears to the party concerned, or
because of a feeling of bestial power, accompanied by a feeling of the
nonexistence of other powers to prevent it from achieving its objectives
though armed force or something equivalent to it."
Both cases seem, in fact, to be one. There exists a very aggrieved
party, Iraq, which is one cause for war; and there exists a bestial,
unchecked power, the world's only superpower, the US, which constitutes
another cause for war.
"In the first case, God, the all-wise, all-powerful, often stands by
the wronged one if he rebels against the wrongdoer, provided that he
pursue the true conditions of revolution under the care of God, the
merciful, the compassionate, the omnipotent, the mighty, the lord of
power and rule, the omniscient.
"The second case has no supporter but the devil. In the case of Iraq,
Iraq has been subjected to injustice of which the annals of history
speaks of nothing similar to it. It has been wronged by repeated
military aggressions from 17 January 1991 to the latest and third
aggression in 1996. These have been accompanied by a series of threats
supported by military reinforcements since 1991 to this very day. Iraq
has also been subjected to an unprecedented blockade in terms of the
immorality and unconscientiousness of those who have been enforcing it
for eight years.
"Honorable ones, you know that Iraq resisted aggression, tyranny, and
corruption, not only because it is a sincere patriot and a faithful
pan-Arabist, but also because it has realized from the outset that the
despotism, which has controlled the minds of official America after the
disruption of international balance, for its known reasons, has made
official America lose its sense and lose its ability to see the right
direction and right means for dealing with the world. America was
intoxicated by an empty, blind, reckless, and destructive desire and a
harsh feeling against itself and others, of the importance of using
power against the entire world so that all will kiss the hands of the
tyrants while sitting on their chairs in the black house or, at least,
all will submit. This will boost the will whose directions, meanings,
goals, and effects are determined by the black house. The world will,
therefore, be enslaved by America and the free ones of the world will be
powerless and helpless."
This is not rhetoric; it is how Saddam views America and the world,
while he sees himself as the champion of the "free ones."
"Iraq has realized this and all that the free ones in the world may
think regarding the dark future in which America wants mankind to live,
which is why Iraq gained a great power with deep human meanings and
effects. This power was bestowed on Iraq by God to be blessed and
convinced to its people [ie Iraqis] and nation [ie Arabs] and to play a
vital role in making Iraq more capable of rejecting oppression and
oppressors and raising high the banner of God is Greater to be seen by
all.
"Iraq has rebelled against the American bull, which has run amuck ...
The oppressed Iraq faced, with God's care, the tyranny of American
unilateral domination. Based on this feeling and analysis, Iraqis have
demonstrated further patience whenever Iraq faced an oppressive American
step. Iraq bore the burden of this oppression in the hope that the
countries and people of the world would rebel or, at least, the
officials in their countries would have a minimum sense of
responsibility toward security, safety, right, falsehood, oppression,
oppressors, the oppressed ones, tyrants, and the patient ones."
That is one reason why Baghdad has waited. As the RCC explained in its
Oct 29 97 statement, expelling Americans from UNSCOM and touching off
this series of crisis, "Regardless of the bitterness and anger embedded
in our psyches, hearts, and consciences, and for the purpose of knowing
the results that could be yielded by the efforts of the countries that
have recently taken balanced and fair positions inside and outside the
Security Council, we deem it wise to give these countries another chance
to act upon the dictates of justice and fairness to lift the blockade."
That is what has been done.
As Iraq's May 1 statement explained, "This [American] tyranny still
insists on the crime of the embargo under the excuse that the resolution
of the embargo was issued by the Security Council. We and you [UNSC
members] know the circumstances under which these resolutions that lack
basic positive meanings and justifications were issued. Iraqis find it
painful to see the Security Council remain hostage to one country which
is backed by the old colonialist English devil's policeman. Iraqis
suffer more when they find out that your will is not free to say the
right thing, which should be said to the sinful one. . . ."
Curiously, "Iraq News" has the same complaint, but from the opposite
perspective. The US failure to back UNSCOM against the constant,
unrelenting pressure from Iraq and its friends is clear, described most
recently by Fred Hiatt, "Useful Fools," Wash Post, Apr 3. Perhaps,
Congress could usefully take up the issue?
But it is not only the US with important interests at stake. After
all, little more than a month ago, the UK issued an alert about a
possible Iraqi anthrax attack. The danger still exists. Why doesn't
the British Gov't speak up about the Saddam danger, particularly as the
prime minister is popular and could afford to take a stand on such an
important issue? "Iraq News" asked an informed British reader. He
agreed that his Gov't's position was deplorable and suggested the Gov't
probably just felt it was easier to follow the US lead. Asked, "Do you
think we have any right to complain about Neville Chamberlain?," he
replied, "No, at least Chamberlain thought he was bringing peace." He
agreed that if Margaret Thatcher were still in office, the situation
would almost certainly be different.
The May 1 statement continued, "It is painful that those who call
themselves big countries in the Security Council do not behave
responsibly . . . They beg America, sometimes with shame, to exercise
their constant rights on the basis of the Charter. They, at best, would
negotiate with America over their constant rights as the weakest party,
something that gives America the chance to accept, reject, adjust, and
replace without shame or fear from the consequences of self-deception."
Thus, Iraq's friends were unable, or unwilling, to advance Iraq's
cause at the UNSC, because of their reluctance to challenge the US.
Unsatisfactory, limited compromises ensued.
Therefore, this "is a situation that prompts us to competently adhere
after relying on God, to our rights, sound path, and to great jihad for
the sake of the rights of our people, our nation, and mankind. This
will not push us to despair, because we are confident that after the
tyrannical force reaches its peak, it will slide into the bottomless
abyss."
What is the "great jihad"? The statement did not say. Rather, it
went on to list five grievances: 1) The continuation of the embargo,
despite the fact that "397 inspection teams and monitoring groups,
including 3,200 inspectors have paid over 7,000 visits to Iraq since
1991." 2) The no-fly zones in southern and northern Iraq. They were
imposed by coalition fiat in Mar 91 and Aug 92 and were not approved by
the UNSC. Thus, Iraq complained, "The entire UNSC body with all its
members could not draw the attention of the United States and Britain
. . . to the fact that they have encroached upon Iraq's sovereignty and
security and to compel them to correct this condition."
Also the statement complained: 3) "Naval fleets and air forces are
stationed inside and at close distance from the Arabian Gulf in a form
of occupation under diverse and changing pretexts. The aim is to
colonize this world region, control the strategic oil reserves, place
the world in the hand of the new imperialism, which is allied with
Zionism, and threaten Iraq and other peaceful Gulf states."
And 4) "There has been a double standard. . . . There has been a
failure in implementing UNSC resolutions related to Palestine and other
problems, including the promises that were given to certain Arabs in the
wake of the 30-state aggression against Iraq. The Zionist entity,
Israel, has been given a free hand in threatening and using force
against the Palestinians, Lebanon, and Syria, and other Arab states."
And 5) "Butler, chairman of the so-called Special Commission, has not
been replaced despite the exposure of his false allegations. . . . He
was not questioned seriously in order to rectify the work of UNSCOM and
implement objective criteria on disarmament and on realizing genuine
balance in UNSCOM's composition." On Sunday, al-Thawra, the Baath party
paper, called for Amb. Butler's dismissal, while another paper predicted
his dismissal by year's end.
The statement concluded by acknowledging its unique and unprecedented
quality, "Honorable UNSC members, our methods may not be familiar . . .
We have not intended to offend any of you with our words. . . . We
wanted to draw your attention to bitter facts about the barbarism of the
barbarians who belong to the Security Council, the weakness of the weak,
and the inability of those who have influence to realize their influence
and use it as they should. We wanted to tell you emphatically: In the
name of God, the merciful, the compassionate: To those against whom war
is made, permission is given to fight, because they are wronged, and
verily God is most powerful for their aid [Koranic verse]. The inability
of the Iraqi people to see a lifting of the sanctions after eight years
and despite their sacrifices through their cooperation with the UNSC and
Special Commission will lead to dire consequences. Despite all of this,
our moral, constitutional, and humanitarian responsibility calls on us
to wait and see how the Security Council will behave after this message
of ours. The Arab nation and great Iraq, who confronted and triumphed
over all the ancient imperial empires, and the invasions of the Moguls
and Tartars will be able to defend their security, rights and
sovereignty. Let us wait and see what happens. And so will the unjust
assailants know what vicissitudes their affairs will take [Koranic
verse]." And so the statement ended.
On Sun, May 3, addressing the closing session of an Arab conference
in Baghdad, which Iraq called, "the Arab Popular Forces Conference,"
Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, referring to Fri's statement said,
"The age of this letter is not years or months. It has a limited time.
. . . Either we accept to die slowly or we fight in order to lift the
embargo."
Also, on Sun, Al Thawra and Babil, owned by Uday, carried articles
referring to Fri's statement. They said that we are ringing the "bell
of danger" and it is the loudest we can ring it.
I. RCC-BAATH PARTY LEADERSHIP LETTER TO UNSC
Iraqi Leadership's 'Open Message' to UNSC
Baghdad Iraq Television Network in Arabic 1700 GMT 1 May 98
[Announcer-read report over video]
[FBIS Translated Text] Leader President Saddam Husayn, may God preserve
him, has chaired a joint meeting of the Revolution Command Council and
the Iraq Command of the Arab Socialist Ba'th Party.
The meeting was attended by the speaker of the National Assembly, the
head of the Presidential Office, the foreign minister, and the minister
of culture and information.
The meeting addressed an open message to the president and members of
the UN Security Council. The following is the text of the message.
In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate,
An Open Message:
"Go, both of you, to Pharaoh, for he has indeed transgressed all
bounds." [Koranic verse]
Honorable president and Members of the Security Council, peace be upon
those who follow the right path. Your institutions emerged and took
shape amid the circumstances of the post-World War II and following the
failure of the League of Nations in maintaining international peace and
security, as was said by those who were called or called themselves the
big powers and superpowers and continue to do so up to this moment.
These institutions, through the principles of the UN Charter, drew the
attention of the peoples of the world, for those principles were said to
basically aim at a world free of tyranny, despotism, and wars. Toward
that end, the UN Security Council has been authorized specific powers.
It is known that wars in general happen primarily either because of a
maximum feeling of injustice, making war the only means to remove the
injustice, or so it appears to the party concerned, or because of a
feeling of bestial power, accompanied by a feeling of the nonexistence
of other powers to prevent it from achieving its objectives through
armed force or something equivalent to it.
In the first case, God, the all-wise, all-powerful, often stands by
the wronged one if he rebels against the wrongdoer, provided that he
pursue the true conditions of revolution under the care of God, the
merciful, the compassionate, the omnipotent, the mighty, the lord of
power and rule, the omniscient.
The second case has no supporter but the devil. In the case of Iraq,
Iraq has been subjected to injustice of which the annals of history
speaks of nothing similar to it. It has been wronged by repeated
military aggressions from 17 January 1991 to the latest and third
aggression in 1996. These have been accompanied by a series of threats
supported by military reinforcements since 1991 to this very day. Iraq
has also been subjected to an unprecedented blockade in terms of the
immorality and unconscientiousness of those who have been enforcing it
for eight years.
Honorable ones, you know that Iraq resisted aggression, tyranny, and
corruption, not only because it is a sincere patriot and a faithful
pan-Arabist, but also because it has realized from the outset that the
despotism, which has controlled the minds of official America after the
disruption of international balance, for its known reasons, has made
official America lose its senses and lose its ability to see the right
direction and right means for dealing with the world.
America was intoxicated by an empty blind, reckless, and destructive
desire and a harsh feeling against itself and others, of the importance
of using power against the entire world so that all will kiss the hands
of the tyrants while sitting on their chairs in the black house or, at
least, all will submit. This will boost the will whose directions,
meanings, goals, and effects are determined by the black house. The
world will, therefore, be enslaved by America and the free ones of the
world will be powerless and helpless.
Iraq has realized this and all that the free ones in the world may
think regarding the dark future in which America wants mankind to live,
which is why Iraq gained a great power with deep human meanings and
effects. This power was bestowed on Iraq by God to be blessed and
convinced to its people and nation and to play a vital role in making
Iraq more capable of rejecting oppression and oppressors and raising
high the banner of God is Greater to be seen by all.
Iraq has rebelled against the American bull, which has run amuck
and is threatening to destroy the entire world and itself as well.
The oppressed Iraq faced, with God's care, the tyranny of American
unilateral domination. Based on this feeling and analysis, Iraqis have
demonstrated further patience whenever Iraq faced an oppressive American
step. Iraq bore the burden of this oppression in the hope that the
countries and people of the world would rebel or, at least, the
officials in their countries would have a minimum sense of
responsibility toward security, safety, right, falsehood, oppression,
oppressors, the oppressed ones, tyrants, and the patient ones. What
further embitters the Iraqis, however, is that this tyranny still
insists on the crime of the embargo under the excuse that the resolution
of the embargo was issued by the Security Council.
We and you know the circumstances under which these resolutions that
lack basic positive meanings and justifications were issued. Iraqis find
it painful to see the Security Council remain hostage to one country
which is backed by the old colonialist English devil's policeman.
Iraqis suffer more when they find out that your will is not free to say
the right thing, which should be said to the sinful one who is almost
drowned in the swamp of evil.
It is painful that those who call themselves big countries in the
Security Council do not behave responsibly and efficiently according to
the conditions that justify their title and membership in the Security
Council. What is worse is that America asks them to do tasks with
superciliousness. They beg America, sometimes with shame, to exercise
their constant rights on the basis of the Charter. They, at best, would
negotiate with America over their constant rights as the weakest party,
something that gives America the chance to accept, reject, adjust, and
replace without shame or fear from the consequences of self-deception.
Honorable ones: This is a shameful situation; however, it is a
situation that prompts us to competently adhere, after relying on God,
to our rights, sound path, and to great jihad for the sake of the rights
of our people, our nation, and mankind. This will not push us to
despair, because we are confident that after the tyrannical force
reaches its highest peak, it will slide into the bottomless abyss. If
examples are needed for what we have said, here are following examples:
1. The blockade has been in force for eight years and has not been
lifted. Even Paragraph 22 has not been implemented in accordance with
Resolution 687 itself. This is despite the fact that the so-called
prohibited weapons and means of their production have been destroyed.
A total of 397 inspection teams and monitoring groups, including 3200
inspectors paid over 7,000 visits since 1991; however, they could not
discover or prove anything to the contrary. We firmly believe that the
failure of the UN Security Council member states, particularly the
permanent ones, to tell this truth, which is known to them, as strongly
and emphatically as required, so that they would not be embarrassed by
the US rage against them, and their inability to implement Paragraph 22
and lift the blockade, are intended to leave matters undecided, unclear,
and postponed.
2. The so-called parallels [air exclusion zones] imposed in north and
south Iraq and the interference in Iraq s internal affairs contradict
the UNSC resolutions. The United States claims that these parallels
were decided by the UNSC. The entire UNSC body with all its members
could not draw the attention of the United States and Britain, who are
member states and two of the five permanent members, to the fact that
they have encroached upon Iraq's sovereignty and security and to compel
them to correct this condition.
3. Naval fleets and air forces are stationed inside and at close
distance from the Arabian Gulf in a form of occupation under diverse and
changing pretexts. They put a new mask with a new color daily. The aim
is to colonize this world region, control the strategic oil reserves,
place the world in the hand of the new imperialism, which is allied with
Zionism, and threaten Iraq and other peaceful Gulf states.
4. There has been a double standard approach in dealing with the Arab
and Islamic nations. There has been a failure in implementing UNSC
resolutions related to Palestine and other problems, including the
promises that were given to certain Arabs in the wake of the 30-state
aggression against Iraq. The Zionist entity, Israel, has been given a
free hand in threatening and using force against the Palestinians,
Lebanon, and Syria, and other Arab states.
5. Butler, chairman of the so called Special Commission, has not been
replaced despite the exposure of his false allegations and the lies he
told in all that he said and claimed. He was not questioned seriously
in order to rectify the work of UNSCOM and implement objective criteria
on disarmament and on realizing genuine balance in UNSCOM's composition.
It was hoped that the UNSC members would end their tenure of paralysis
and weakness, which afflicted some members of the UNSC.
Honorable UNSC members, our methods may not be familiar, especially at
a stage where many officials, not people, imagine that the United States
decides matters of life and death; however, we believe that God alone
decides matters of life and death, that God grants high positions to
those who tell the truth and those who defend right in this world and
the hereafter. The US policy is only a reckless bull, which will soon
fall in the well of life and be defeated by the brave resistance of
peoples after God hamstrings it and after it burns up in its own vices
and guilt so that the banner of Allahu Akbar [God is great] will remain
on its staff, fluttering and glorious, and the voice of justice will
triumph over the voice of injustice everywhere in the world.
If you see an injustice, you must right it with your own hand. If you
cannot use your hand, you can use your tongue. If you still cannot do
it with your tongue, then by the will of your heart. This is the
weakest faith [a saying of the prophet Muhammad.]
Honorable president and members of the UNSC, we have not intended to
offend any of you with our words which you might think hurt your
feelings. It never occurred to us to harm anyone of you personally.
Rather, we mean to honor your peoples and nations. In the name of God,
the merciful, the compassionate, 0 mankind, we created you from a single
pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes that
ye may know each other, not that ye may despise each other. Verily, the
most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most
righteous of you [Koranic verses].
We wanted to draw your attention to bitter facts about the barbarism
of the barbarians who belong to the Security Council, the weakness of
the weak, and the inability of those who have influence to realize their
influence and use it as they should. We wanted to tell you
emphatically, In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate: To
those against whom war is made, permission is given to fight, because
they are wronged, and verily Allah is most powerful for their aid
[Koranic verse].
The inability of the Iraqi people to see a lifting of the sanctions
after eight years and despite their sacrifices through their cooperation
with the UNSC and Special Commission will lead to dire consequences.
Despite all of this, our moral, constitutional, and humanitarian
responsibility calls on us to wait and see how the Security Council will
behave after this message of ours.
The Arab nation and great Iraq, who confronted and triumphed over all
the ancient imperialist empires, and the invasions of the Moguls and
Tartars will be able to defend their security, rights, and sovereignty
Let us wait and see what happens. And so will the unjust assailants
know what vicissitudes their affairs will take. [Koranic verse]
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