DATE=2/16/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=US-IRAQ SANCTIONS (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259233
BYLINE=JON TKACH
DATELINE=WASHINGTON
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Seventy members of Congress are calling on the
Clinton Administration to lift economic sanctions
against Iraq. Those who oppose sanctions say public
opinion is turning their way. But as V-O-A's Jon Tkach
(pron: Kotch) reports, the word from the State
Department is that U-S policy on the Iraqi sanctions
issue is not likely to change
TEXT: Against a backdrop of pictures of malnourished
and sick Iraqi children, Democratic Congressman David
Bonior compared the current United Nations economic
sanctions against Iraq to weapons of mass destruction.
He says there is just one difference - the sanctions
leaves Iraq's military and political elite untouched.
/// Bonior Act ///
Yet, at the same time, it is a weapon that has
already killed more than one-million civilians -
mostly children. That weapon is called economic
sanctions.
/// End Act ///
At a news conference (Wednesday), Mr. Bonior said he
and 69 other members of Congress sent a letter to
President Clinton urging him to end the sanctions.
Representatives from several Arab-American groups
joined the lawmakers outside the Capitol. They said
Washington needs to find another way to pressure Iraq
into giving up its weapons of mass destruction
program.
A representative of the American-Arab Anti-
Discrimination Committee (Hussein Ibish) cited the
recent resignations of two top U-N humanitarian
officials in Iraq as underscoring the failure of the
sanctions policy.
But, not all Arab-Americans have joined the call for
lifting the sanctions. Saad Farage, an Iraqi exile,
also was at the news conference, but in the audience.
/// Begin Opt ///
/// Farage Act ///
I have family - my mother, my sister, my brother -
living in Iraq, and I know that on a daily basis they
are hurt every day. But also if we let the sanctions
be removed without imposing any facets to control the
regime we are not doing a favor to the Iraqi people.
/// End Act ///
///End Opt ///
Mr. Farage says the number one goal of any policy
should be ridding Iraq of the current regime.
The State Department position is that Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein - and not the sanctions -- is to blame
for the suffering of his country's people. And during
a congressional hearing on Wednesday, Secretary of
State Madeleine Albright indicated the
administration's policy toward Iraq is not likely to
change.
/// Albright Act ///
We believe that a tight sanctions regime is
important for the containment of Iraq so that it
does not pose a threat to its neighbors.
/// End Act ///
But Democratic Congressman John Conyers says he is
introducing legislation that would mandate
congressional review the current U-N sanctions and
allow U-S export of food and medicine to Iraq.
(Signed)
NEB/JON/JP
16-Feb-2000 16:48 PM EDT (16-Feb-2000 2148 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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