International   

U.N. Council studying Iraq resolution

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington may 10. The U.N. Security Council is carefully studying the draft resolution on the removal of sanctions against Iraq and the first indications are that while the process is not going to be an easy one, there are going to be no loud shouting matches in New York as witnessed in the run up to the war. "Most delegations saw this as charting a way forward; certainly they had some questions,'' said the top American envoy, John Negroponte, after a session of the Security Council.

The U.S. formally presented the eight-page resolution co-sponsored by Britain and Spain. No one is under the illusion that the current language is going to remain unchanged.

Even the Spanish Ambassador has taken the position that the text can be `improved' and the important thing was to find a solution to a rather complicated problem. The initial reaction from the non-permanent members appeared to be positive. The draft has been seen as a "good start'' by Angola and "very positive'' has been the first reaction from Chile.

Under the draft, the Security Council would allow the U.S. and Britain to run Iraq for about a year with this authorisation automatically extending unless the Council decides otherwise. The catch here is that London and Washington could use their veto to override anything by the Security Council that did not fit into their frame of thinking.

Under the present terms envisaged, sanctions would be lifted, the oil-for-food programme phased out; and the U.N.'s control of the Iraqi oil revenues would be effectively ended. It would be replaced by the Iraqi Assistance Fund which would be audited by a group of international experts appointed by the U.N., the World Bank and the IMF.

The Bush administration is urging the Council to move fast, basically making the point that the rationale for the sanctions is that the Saddam Hussein regime is no longer around. ``This resolution is straight to the point; it's a resolution that will serve the Iraqi people. It's a resolution that will ultimately result in the lifting of sanctions so that the world can again trade with Iraq,'' said the Secretary of State, Colin Powell. But France and Russia are making the point that the weapons inspectors would have to be allowed back to `certify' the end of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Further, there is some unease that the U.N. is being assigned a marginal role, mostly in the realm of advisorial and confined to the humanitarian front. The U.N. Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has been asked to appoint a Special Co-ordinator who will oversee such programmes as reconstruction, return of refugees and human rights.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

International

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• West Asia: Powell to push peace 'road map'
• Cleric for Islamic state but not extremism
• Britain, France work to ease tensions
• U.S. willing to 'give a push' to ties with India
• Junketing at tax-payers' expense?
• Chandrika move on Lotteries Board irks Ranil
• India, Pak. must make efforts to lower temperature: Kasuri
• 'U.S. has no evidence of French role'
• 'I will review further participation'
• Nambiar's de-escalation proposals criticised
• U.N. Council studying Iraq resolution
• 'Saddam' urges Iraqis to use mosques to resist U.S.
• Lashkar website disappears
• A durable solution the aim: Jamali

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu