Iraq News by Laurie Mylroie
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 .
IRAQ NEWS, SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 1999 I. RCC, BA'TH PARTY BACK SERBS, IRAQ RADIO, MAR 26 II. SERBIAN SALES UNDER UNSCR 986 TO IRAQ, NYT, MAR 27 III. SERB-IRAQ ARMS PACT, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, MAR 28 IV. MORE ON SERB-IRAQ PACT, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH, MAR 28 On Mar 26, as Iraq Radio reported, the RCC and Iraqi Ba'th Party leadership condemned "the US-NATO aggression against Yugoslavia." A spokesman urged "the people of the free world to stand against this aggression, which jeopardizes all peoples who are opposed to the US-allied hegemony and blackmail." The NYT, Mar 27, reported that the UN sanctions committee had approved a number of Yugoslav sales to Iraq under UNSCR 986. But the principal seller of the Yugoslav goods, Yugoimport, is headed by a major general and it "primarily trades in arms." That would seem to raise the possibility that proscribed material is being smuggled to Iraq. Indeed, the Sunday Telegraph, Mar 28, reported that Milosevic and Saddam have joined forces. "The Iraqis are anxious to upgrade their defense systems. ... The Iraqis want the Serbs to provide them with the more advanced SA-7 anti-aircraft missile system. ... Iraq is able to supply the Serbs with two commodities essential to their war effort: oil and cash. ... The first steps towards formalizing the alliance ... were taken earlier this month when a delegation of Serb military experts traveled to Baghdad. ... The Serb delegation was led by Lieutenant- General Jovan Djukovic, Serbia's deputy defense minister. It followed an earlier exploratory visit by Ivan Ivanovich, a Serb chemical and biological weapons expert." I. RCC, BA'TH PARTY BACK SERBS, IRAQ RADIO Baghdad Republic of Iraq Radio Network in Arabic 1900 GMT 26 March 99 [FBIS Translated Text] Leader President Saddam Husayn, may God watch over him, has presided over a meeting of the Revolution Command Council and the Iraq Command of the party. The conferees discussed the developments of the Palestine question and the US-NATO aggression against Yugoslavia. A spokesman for the meeting said that Iraq strongly denounces this brute aggression, which is a flagrant violation of international law and order and the UN Charter. This aggressive and flagrant interference by the United States and NATO in a domestic affair of a sovereign country is unjustifiable regardless of the pretexts advanced to justify this interference. Iraq urges the peoples of the free world to stand against this aggression, which jeopardizes all peoples who are opposed to the US-allied hegemony and blackmail. The spokesman added: Since the Algerian revolution, during the 1967 Zionist aggression, and in similar circumstances, Yugoslavia has consistently supported Arab causes and backed the Arab nation when such support was badly needed, which requires the nation to recall this support and express opposition to the brute aggression targeting Yugoslavia. The president congratulated the comrade attendees on the advent of the blessed 'Id al-Adha. Similarly, he congratulated all Iraqi people, the Arab nation, and all Muslims on the occasion. He wished all a happy and blessed 'Id as well as well-being and success. II. SERBIAN SALES UNDER UNSCR 986 TO IRAQ The New York Times March 27, 1999 Yugoslavia Selling to Iraq Under a U.N. Aid Program By Raymond Bonner WASHINGTON -- At the time when the Clinton Administration has been searching for ways to squeeze the President Slobodan Milosevic of Yugoslavia, it has given up an economic weapon, allowing him to do business with Saddam Hussein, according to United Nations documents. The commerce, including wheat and serum for snakebites, has been carried out under the United Nations oil-for-food program, which allows Iraq to sell a limited amount of oil and use part of the proceeds to buy food and medicines. Without any objection from the United States, four Yugoslav sales to Iraq have been approved since Milosevic stepped up the repression in Kosovo. The most recent, of medicine, was last month. In contrast, last week the United States blocked $92 million worth of sales by French companies to Iraq, a United Nations official said. Although the deals have received the approval of the United States mission to the United Nations, neither the American Embassy in Belgrade nor the State Department special Balkans office was aware of them, American officials said. And when they did learn of the deals, they were not pleased, the officials added. The size of the sales has been relatively small, $22 million. But for an economy in such dire straits as Yugoslavia's, that is significant. A Yugoslav official said last week that the country hoped the sales would reach $150 million this year. The sales insure hard currency for Milosevic, something that he has a hard time obtaining because of the economic sanctions against his country. With the proceeds, Milosevic is generally expected to buy Iraqi oil, which the United Nations has approved in principle. The oil will undoubtedly power the Yugoslav military machine, American and United Nations officials agreed. The United States mission did not return telephone calls to explain why it did not block the transactions. All sales to Iraq under the oil-for-food program have to be approved by a special Security Council committee. The United States is a member and could have blocked the sales. "Any member of the committee can put on hold or block any contract it likes for any reason," said John Mills, a spokesman for the oil-for-food program. Other sales to Iraq have been halted because the United States and other countries have objected. The principal seller of the Yugoslav goods has been a state-owned company, Yugoimport, according to United Nations documents, which were made available by a person outside government who opposes the sales. Yugoimport, founded in 1949, has been headed for 10 years by Maj. Gen. Jovan Cekovic. It is primarily trades arms. In recent months, American officials said, Cekovic has been scouring the Middle East, including Iraq and Iran, for customers for Yugoslav armaments, which include land mines and tanks. Libya has been one buyer, the Americans said. III. SERB-IRAQ ARMS PACT Sunday Telegraph March 28, 1999 Milosevic in arms pact with Saddam By Con Coughlin President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Iraq's Saddam Hussein have joined forces in an alliance to help them continue their defiance of allied air strikes. In a dramatic development which poses a serious challenge to the West, two of the world's most reviled dictators have agreed a mutual assistance pact to enable them to withstand the effects of allied bombing raids. Last night a Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the reports that there is a connection between the Iraqi and the Serbian regimes. We believe that they are accurate and based on good information. Obviously this is a cause for concern and demonstrates the sort of company that Milosevic is now keeping." Milosevic and Saddam have authorised their officials to work closely to fulfil their joint goal of shooting down allied aircraft involved in bombing raids against Serbia and Iraq. Their alliance was initiated shortly before Nato commanders last week launched Operation Allied Force, when a Serbian delegation visited Baghdad earlier this month. In return for receiving Serb assistance in rebuilding Iraq's air defences and making its jet fighters airworthy, Saddam has promised to provide Milosevic with oil and cash to sustain the Serbs' battered economy. Last night Tony Blair's official spokesman said: "The Prime Minister is aware of these reports. Nothing would surprise us about Saddam or Milosevic." IV. MORE ON SERB-IRAQ PACT Milosevic and Saddam plot joint revenge By Con Coughlin and Peter Almond The decision by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic to form an alliance with Iraq's Saddam Hussein was taken shortly before Nato warplanes launched massive air strikes against Serb military positions last week. The two men have been brought together by their shared aim of shooting down allied aircraft. Since Iraq was subjected to a massive air bombardment by British and American warplanes during Operation Desert Fox last December, Saddam has been desperate to shoot down allied bombers and capture their pilots. Following last week's launch of Nato's Operation Allied Force, Saddam has now found an ally in Mr Milosevic, who has authorised his officials to negotiate a secret military alliance with Baghdad. The Serbs have agreed to help Saddam rebuild his armed forces - in particular his air defence capability - in return for receiving Iraqi assistance on withstanding the huge air bombardment currently being inflicted by allied aircraft. The Iraqis are anxious to upgrade their defence systems. They have to rely mainly on antiquated SA-2 and SA-3 Soviet missile systems, which are no match for the sophisticated air power being deployed by British and American jet fighters patrolling the no-fly zones in northern and southern Iraq. The Iraqis want the Serbs to provide them with the more advanced SA-7 anti-aircraft missile system. Although originally built to a Soviet design, the Serbs make their own updated version, which could pose a serious threat to allied warplanes if deployed in Iraq. The Telegraph reported last week that Serb technicians are already assisting the Iraqis in preparing air defence traps for allied warplanes. The Iraqis are also trying to persuade the Serbs to get their ageing squadrons of MiG-21 and MiG-29 fighter jets back to combat readiness. Serb technicians regularly serviced Iraqi MiGs before the Gulf conflict, and there have been reports of Serb military specialists being re-assigned to work with the Iraqi air force. Apart from the Serbs, Saddam has also made overtures to the Russians, who last week condemned Nato's air assault on Serb targets. There is speculation that a Russian transport aircraft intercepted in Azerbaijan last week was destined for Baghdad, not Belgrade. It has been confirmed that the aircraft contained 23 MiG engines - not five MiG fighters as reported - and 30 Russian technicians. The Telegraph reported earlier this year that Moscow had agreed to provide Iraq with £100 million worth of military equipment in defiance of UN sanctions. The Russians denied the report, but after President Yeltsin's condemnation of Nato last week, it is expected that the Russians will be less circumspect about their military trade with the Serbs and Iraq. In return for providing Saddam with military assistance, Mr Milosevic's chances of survival will be greatly improved by his unholy alliance with Saddam. Iraq is able to supply the Serbs with two commodities essential to their war effort: oil and cash. With no oil reserves of its own, the Serbian military would be unable to function without Iraqi oil. And with the Serbian economy in a parlous state, Iraqi hard currency - which Saddam is able to acquire from illegal oil sales, in spite of UN sanctions - is crucial to pay the wages of the Serb military. There are already indications that Mr Milosevic has taken Saddam's advice to heart. Serb weaponry has been moved throughout the country to avoid being targeted by allied bombers, while the Serb authorities have silenced opposition groups to ensure that the civilian population is fed government propaganda only. The first steps towards formalising the alliance between Serbia and Iraq were taken earlier this month when a delegation of Serb military experts travelled to Baghdad to explore ways in which the two countries could co-operate to their mutual advantage. The Serb delegation was led by Lieutenant-General Jovan Djukovic, Serbia's deputy defence minister. It followed an earlier exploratory visit by Ivan Ivanovich, a Serb chemical and biological weapons expert, who arrived in Baghdad on March 9 and spent several days visiting Iraqi military facilities. They later visited an Iraqi pharmaceutical plant at Samarra, 100 miles outside Baghdad, which UN weapons inspectors say is a chemical weapons production site. According to Middle East intelligence officials, both visits were authorised by Mr Milosevic, who has long supplied arms to Iraq. The presence of the Serb delegations in Baghdad has also been confirmed by the Foreign Office, where officials view the growing co-operation between the two with alarm. "It appears they have identified a common aim - to shoot down allied aircraft," said a senior diplomat last week. "Saddam and Milosevic see themselves as international outcasts who must support each other if they are to survive."
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