DATE=5/21/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-232564
TITLE=IRAQ / TRADE (L ONLY)
BYLINE=EDWARD YERANIAN
DATELINE=BEIRUT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: U-N SANCTIONS ON TRADE WITH IRAQ ARE SUPPOSED TO SHARPLY
LIMIT THE GOODS IRAQ CAN PURCHASE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. BUT
EDWARD YERANIAN IN BEIRUT REPORTS TRADE BETWEEN IRAQ AND MANY OF
ITS NEIGHBORS IS ON THE INCREASE.
TEXT: ARAB PUBLIC OPINION HAS TURNED AGAINST U-N ECONOMIC
SANCTIONS. OBSERVERS IN THE REGION SAY THIS IS BECAUSE THE
SANCTIONS ARE HURTING THE IRAQI PEOPLE.
THE FOREIGN EDITOR OF BEIRUT'S AL AN WAR NEWSPAPER, HANNA ANBAR,
SAYS TRADE WITH IRAQ IS INCREASING BECAUSE ARAB NATIONS NO
LONGER SEE ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR KEEPING SANCTIONS IN PLACE.
/// ANBAR ACT ONE ///
EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE IS LOTS OF TRADE TAKING PLACE
WITH IRAQ FROM SURROUNDING COUNTRIES. AND ALL THE
PEOPLE IN THESE COUNTRIES ARE FOR IT. THERE ISN'T AN
OUTCRY AGAINST THIS SORT OF THING. ON THE CONTRARY.
/// END ACT ///
THE PRESIDENT OF THE LEBANESE INDUSTRIALISTS' ASSOCIATION,
JACQUES SARRAF, AGREES THAT TRADE BETWEEN IRAQ AND ITS NEIGHBORS
IS NOW ON THE RISE.
/// SARRAF ACT ONE ///
THERE IS 30-THOUSAND TRUCKS EACH MONTH BETWEEN TURKEY
AND IRAQ. THERE IS A TRADE EXCHANGE BETWEEN
800-MILLION-DOLLARS TO ONE-BILLION DOLLARS BETWEEN IRAQ
AND JORDAN AND ALSO THERE IS NOWADAYS A BIG IMPORTANCE
OF EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE GULF, THE ARAB GULF, AND MAINLY
DUBAI AND BAGHDAD.
/// END ACT ///
HANNA ANBAR SAYS COUNTRIES NEAR IRAQ CANNOT BE OVERLY STRICT
ABOUT ENFORCING U-N SANCTIONS BECAUSE THAT HURTS THEIR OWN
ECONOMIES
/// ANBAR ACT TWO ///
WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT JORDAN, SYRIA, AND LEBANON HAVE
BEEN MAJOR EXPORTERS OF GOODS TO IRAQ THROUGHOUT THE
YEARS AND THE IRAQI MARKET HAS BEEN A GREAT LOSS TO
THEM.
/// END ACT ///
/// OPT /// LEBANON ONCE EXPORTED NEARLY 30 PERCENT OF ITS
INDUSTRIAL OUTPUT TO IRAQ, AND BEIRUT IS EAGER TO RECOVER SOME OF
THAT MARKET. SYRIA REOPENED ITS BORDER WITH IRAQ LAST YEAR, SAYS
JACQUES SARRAF, AND THIS GIVES A BOOST TO TRADE:
/// OPT // SARRAF ACT TWO ///
WE HAVE SUCCEED AT LEAST TO CONVINCE OUR FRIENDS IN
DAMASCUS THAT IT IS THE RIGHT TIME TO EXPORT OUR
PRODUCTS NOW THE ROAD VIA SYRIA IS OPEN. AND WE HOPE
THROUGH THIS WE CAN COMPETE AND WE CAN AGAIN HAVE NEW
POSITIONS IN THE IRAQI MARKETS.
/// END ACT // END OPT ///
AS NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES SCRAMBLE TO TRADE WITH IRAQ, THE UNITED
NATIONS IS HAVING TROUBLE ENFORCING ITS PRESENT SANCTIONS.
THE MIDDLE EAST CORRESPONDENT OF THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE, ED
MCBRIDE, NOTES PEOPLE FIND IT EASY TO SMUGGLE GOODS ACROSS THE
BORDER FROM NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES INTO IRAQ. AND HE SAYS U-N
OFFICIALS HAVE TROUBLE COPING WITH THE GOODS THAT ENTER IRAQ AT
LEGITIMATE BORDER CROSSINGS.
/// MCBRIDE ACT ///
AND IF YOU GO TO THE BORDER BETWEEN JORDAN AND IRAQ,
THERE ARE HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF TRUCKS QUEUING UP,
WAITING TO COME IN. THERE'S NO ONE REALLY CHECKING
WHAT'S COMING IN THESE. THERE'S EQUIPMENT IN BAGHDAD
THAT OBVIOUSLY CAME WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE U-N, THAT
SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER SANCTIONS, THAT THE
GOVERNMENT HAS OBVIOUSLY GOT HOLD OF SOMEHOW. SADDAM
HAS SPANKING NEW POLICE CARS, BY ALL REPORTS HIS ARMY
AND MISSILE SYSTEMS CONTINUE TO GROW AND IMPROVE THEIR
EQUIPMENT. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE PRECISELY WHAT THE
U-N WANTED NOT TO HAPPEN.
/// END ACT ///
THE U-N SECURITY COUNCIL VOTED IN APRIL TO KEEP SANCTIONS ON IRAQ
IN PLACE UNTIL OCTOBER. BUT IN THE MEANTIME, SAYS HANNA ANBAR,
THE SANCTIONS ARE SLOWLY FALLING APART.
/// AMBAR ACT FOUR ///
THE WAY SANCTIONS ARE BEING IGNORED IS A WOODPECKER
SYNDROME IT MIGHT TAKE TIME, BUT A WOODPECKER GETS AT A
TREE, AND THE TREE AT SOME POINT, NO MATTER HOW BIG IT
IS, WILL FALL.
/// END ACT ///
AS SUPPORT FOR SANCTIONS IN THE SECURITY COUNCIL WANES, IRAQ IS
SENDING ITS TOP MINISTERS ACROSS EUROPE TO ARGUE THAT SANCTIONS
ARE NO LONGER JUSTIFIED. BUT MOST OF IRAQS' NEIGHBORS HAVE
ALREADY REACHED THE SAME CONCLUSION. (SIGNED)
NEB/EY/JWH
21-May-98 7:36 AM EDT (1136 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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