Iraq calls for end to sanctions, as 132 new inspections begin
Iraq-UN, Politics, 4/30/1998

Nabil Negm, Iraq's permanent delegate of the Arab league said the actions of the Security Council in continuing the sanctions on Iraq do not express the will of the international community.

The Iraqi ambassador said the special committee authorized to put an end to Iraq's weapons of mass destruction has begun to inspect 132 critical sites and conduct 338 continued inspection operations in the field of missiles and 172 inspection within the chemical field.

UN's head of inspection efforts Richard Butler said on Tuesday that "a very important promise was given at the highest level to the Secretary-General, and I earnestly hope that it be kept," speaking about the agreement reached between Iraq and UN secretary-general Kofi Annan that averted a US-Iraqi confict. Iraq's foreign minister Sahaf said that despite UN's decision this week not to lift the sanctions after it reviewed Butler's lattest report, Iraq will cooperate fully in providing technical information to the inspection team.

Butler had criticized the behavior of Iraq as posturing when the Iraqi foreign minister characterized his report as false. But Butler seeming optimistic said "I believe the end of this (sanctions) is actually within our grasp if Iraq will keep its promise and give us the materials we need. No one wants another crisis. So I¹m hopeful that the glass will be seen as half full, not half empty, and that the opportunity of the next few months to get this job done will be seized. And we've promised that we'll do our part of it with integrity and with all possible speed."

Butler has accused Iraq of not providing supporting information about Iraqi claims of destroyed SCUD missiles warheads which Butler claims to have filled with chemical or biological agents.

The US is maintaining the same level of military deployment in the region and has asked congress for additional funding for the US forces in the Gulf where two aircraft carriers are deployed according to the Pentagon, a matter which Iran has strongly condemned.

US president Bill Clinton commenting today about the possible future lowering of deployment levels of US forces said that he will wait for recommendations from the Pentagon.

Previous Stories:
  Iraq cleared of nuclear weapons, but sanctions stay   (4/28/1998)
  US opposes lifting of Iraq sanctions   (4/24/1998)
  Iraq holds collective funeral for children   (4/21/1998)

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