04 August 1998
UNITED NATIONS REPORT, AUGUST 4, 1998
(Iraq-UNSCOM talks, Iraq oil-for-food program) (750) UNSCOM-IRAQ TALKS BREAK DOWN The chairman of the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM) overseeing the destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction is heading back to UN headquarters to brief the UN Security Council after talks between him and senior Iraqi officials broke down over continuing chemical and ballistic missile inspections. UNSCOM Chairman Richard Butler is scheduled to meet with the Council August 6. Arriving at UNSCOM offices in Bahrain on his way back to New York, Butler told journalists that he was disappointed that Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz was not prepared to accept UNSCOM's accelerated work program. Instead, Tariq Aziz "demanded that I report to the Council that all disarmament is already completed. I don't have sufficient evidence to do that report," Butler said. Butler said that he had informed the Iraqis that if UNSCOM worked on the accelerated schedule and had full Iraqi cooperation he "could have been in a position to report to the Security Council the end or very near the end of the missile and chemical weapons files." In New York Secretary General Kofi Annan said that he was waiting to talk to Butler before making any judgments on the latest impasse with Iraq. In February Annan averted a full-fledged confrontation between Iraq and the Gulf War allies, personally negotiating a "memorandum of understanding" with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for Iraq to allow the UN weapons inspectors unconditional and unrestricted access to all sites in Iraq they wish to visit. Annan noted that until now the memorandum of understanding "has worked reasonably well." "I would hope that when Mr. Butler comes back and reports we will be able to continue our work and that this may be a major hiccup, but a hiccup that we can overcome," the Secretary General said. Pressures between the UN and Iraq have been building in the past two months as reports from weapons inspectors have not proved as positive as Iraq hoped and the so-called "closure" of weapons files has not materialized. Closing the files on each of Iraq's chemical, biological, nuclear, or ballistic weapons programs would end intrusive inspections and move the UN into a long-term monitoring program. That is the first step in the process to lift sanctions. On July 23, UNSCOM disagreed with Iraq when a team of UNSCOM weapons experts were prevented from taking copies of a document from the Iraqi Air Force headquarters that might be related to much sought-after information on 100,000 munitions that were filled with chemical and biological weapons during the 1980s. On July 27 IAEA, which is responsible for the nuclear weapons portion of the Gulf War cease-fire agreement, issued a report that also did not recommend closing the nuclear file. IAEA said that while it has no evidence that Iraq has any nuclear weapons materials, the international community should assume that Iraq has kept documents, specimens of important components, and has a cadre of experts that could be used to re-start its program. In late June Butler reported that UNSCOM had test results showing that Iraq put VX nerve gas in missile warheads even though Iraq had always insisted that it never produced the deadly chemical for weapons. SPARE PARTS APPROVED FOR IRAQ'S OIL INDUSTRY The Security Council's sanctions committee has approved three contracts for $287,000 worth of spare parts for Iraq's oil industry, the UN announced August 4. The parts were for pipeline equipment, mainly compressors, a UN spokesman said. The committee also approved 49 applications for humanitarian supplies under the fourth phase of the Council's so-called oil-for-food program. The oil-for food program allows Iraq to sell oil under strict UN supervision to buy food, medicines, and other humanitarian goods. Concerned that the original oil-for-food program was not providing enough for Iraqi civilians, in February the Security Council increased the amount of oil Iraq was allowed to export in order to buy humanitarian supplies to $5,256 million every six months from $2,000 million. However, when the amount of oil was increased, a UN team of oil industry experts determined that Iraq's oil industry would need spare parts and other equipment to repair production wells and develop a number of smaller fields if the new levels were to be met. The Council decided to allow Iraq to import $300 million of the equipment needed to increase oil production.
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