Bahrain asks the UN for a united stand towards sanctions on Iraq

Bahrain's representative at the UN, ambassador Jasem Bu Alai has stated that the UN is studying several proposals to review the sanctions decision on Iraq, including the proposal submitted by the Bahraini delegation to the UN Security Council.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the Bahraini daily Gulf Daily News, Bu Alai said that the UN Security Council has to unify its stances towards the various viewpoints among its members towards sanctions imposed on Iraq.

Ambassador Bu Alai asserted the importance of opening a new dialogue between Iraq and the UN Security Council to reach fundamental solutions that end problems between them. The ambassador indicated that the past six months witnessed intensive revisions pertaining to the details of the sanctions program against Iraq.

He continued that these revisions were suspended at the beginning of the joint British - US air strikes against Iraq in December, 1998.

The Bahraini ambassador added that Canada has recently submitted new proposals to the UN Security Council to reconsider its program with the evaluation of Iraq's commitment to implementing UN resolutions and the oil-for-food agreement.