Indyk assures continuation of international sanctions on Iraq
Regional-Iraq-USA, Politics, 3/13/1999

US Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs Martin Indyk, who is currently visiting Turkey, urged the Turkish government for more coordination and cooperation with the United States to handle the Iraqi crisis and said this crisis will not end except after getting rid of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

Indyk's call came during his visit to Turkey, while the US raids continued from the Turkish Incirlik air base to strike at Iraqi sites in the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.

In 1991, the US imposed a no-fly zone that prohibits Iraqi planes in areas over northern Iraq (north of the 36nd parallel) as a safe haven to protect Kurds who opposed and unsuccessfully fought with the encouragement of the US a rebellion against the central government, while in 1992, the US restricted a similar area (south of the 32nd parallel) over southern Iraq after the US had encouraged an unsuccessful rebellion by Shiites in the south. On Sep 3, 1996 the US announced the expansion of the area (to the 33rd parallel) up to 65 miles south of the capital Baghdad as a result of Iraqi challenges to the zones and UN weapons inspections. The UN has not released special resolutions concerning the two areas which cover more than half of the Iraqi territories. These no-fly zones were never explicitly authorized by the UN but the US says that they are sanctioned under UN resolution 688 that has provisions that call on Iraq to protect minorities. The no-fly zones prevent Iraqi jet fighters from flying in these designated air space areas that in effect split Iraq into three regions.

For the 53rd time following the air military operations in December 1998, US jets shelled the Iraqi in the sites in northern zone while the US deputy secretary of state discussed with the Turks the issue of Incirlik, from which the jets were launched.

Washington plans to use this base in the air operations that target Iraqi missiles and radar sites south of the 36th parallel, which was objected to by Ankara under the pretext that the agreement regarding the presence of these US jets in Turkey does not allow this.

Previous Stories:
  Indyk will not seek Damascus to amend April Understanding   (3/12/1999)
  King al-Hassan II of Morocco discusses with Indyk conditions in the Gulf, Sahara peace   (3/10/1999)
  Two Israeli views of Indyk's tour   (3/10/1999)
  On Indyk's visit to Syria and Israel   (3/9/1999)

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