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Nat'l Assembly Decision on UNSCOM/IAEA

Iraq News, SEPTEMBER 14, 1998

The 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.   NAT'L ASSEMBLY DECISION, INA, SEPT 14
II.  NAT'L ASSEMBLY DECISION, IRAQ SATELLITE TV CHANNEL, SEPT 14
III. KHALID DURI, ON NAT'L ASSEMBLY DECISION, RADIO MONTE CARLO, SEPT 14
  Scott Ritter will testify before the House International Relations 
Committee tomorrow at 10:00 AM, 2172 Rayburn.  Also, regarding the 
administration position on Ritter, readers will note a delicious irony 
in the remarks of Khalid al-Duri, Chairman of the Nat'l Assembly's 
committee on Arab and Int'l Relations.
I.  NAT'L ASSEMBLY DECISION
Baghdad INA in Arabic 1047 GMT 14 Sep 98
[FBIS Translated Text] Baghdad, 14 Sep (lNA)  The Iraqi National 
Assembly has called for severing the relationship with the UN Special 
Commission [UNSCOM] and ending its activities in Iraq if the Security 
Council fails to take Iraq's concerns into consideration and revoke 
Resolution 1194 in order to pave the way for a frank dialogue free of 
threats.
   In a statement issued today at the conclusion of its extraordinary 
session the National Assembly authorized the Iraqi leadership to take 
the appropriate measures that would guarantee the lifting of the embargo 
imposed on Iraq.
   The statement stressed that Resolution 1194 was contrary to what Iraq 
expected from the UN Security Council following the Iraqi leadership's 
decision on 5 August.
  The National Assembly condemned this resolution, which confirmed the 
US and British pressures on Iraq with the aim of undermining its unity 
and national sovereignty.
[Description of source: Official news agency of the Iraqi Government]
II. NAT'L ASSEMBLY DECISION, IRAQ SATELLITE TV CHANNEL
Baghdad Iraq Satellite Channel Television in Arabic 1600 GMT 14 Sep 98
[Video report from Ziyad Tariq from the National Assembly Headquarters]
[FBIS Translated Text]  In an extraordinary session held his morning, 
the people's representatives unanimously called for canceling the 
monitoring system and halting cooperation with the UN Special Commission 
[UNSCOM] and the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA].
   A statement by the assembly read by the head of the Arab and 
International Relations Committee, called on the Security Council to 
revoke its Resolution 1194, which suspended the periodical review of the 
sanctions that have been imposed on Iraq since August 1990, and to take 
the measures that would end the suffering of the Iraqi people through 
implementing Paragraph 22 of Resolution 687.
  [Begin an unidentified National Assembly member recording]  In its 
injustice this resolution is not different from the previous resolutions 
against Iraq. The resolution suspended reviewing the sanctions. They 
have reviewed the sanctions 40 times and have never decided to ease the 
siege or to admit what Iraq had achieved.  Iraq has achieved much; it 
destroyed its national properties in implementation of the Security 
Council resolutions; it cooperated with UNSCOM; it endured coercion and 
the aerobatics, practices and silly and funny questions.  Regrettably, 
Iraq's complaints have not been considered.  What has been considered 
was the report presented by Butler and that of the IAEA on 12 August 
1998. This process ended with Resolution 1194 on suspending reviews of 
the siege. [end recording]
   In their discussions at the session, the Assembly members stressed 
that Resolution 1194 represents another step by London and Washington 
toward prolonging the siege.  This measure can be added to the series of 
their crimes against the Iraqi people.  The members spoke about the 
facilities Iraq provided for UNSCOM activities.
   The National Assembly members reiterated their confidence in leader 
President Saddam Husayn and the Revolution Command Council, and 
authorized them to take the decisions that would preserve the dignity
of the Iraqi people, who can break the siege, without waiting for the 
Security Council resolutions or the false reports of UNSCOM and the 
IAEA.
   Resolution 1194 shows anew that the Security Council is dominated by 
the United States, which wants to keep the sanctions imposed on Iraq, 
prolong the siege, and starve the Iraqi people.  This led the
National Assembly to adopt a decision to stop dealing with UNSCOM and 
the IAEA.  [video of National Assembly in session, then Assembly member 
speaking]
[Description of source: Government-owned television station]