British proposal to suspend sanctions on Iraq

The ambassadors of the five permanent states at the United Nations Security Council meet today in New York to discuss three draft proposals concerning Iraq.

The three draft proposals include a British - Dutch project which for the first time uses the language of "suspending" the UN sanctions. The British proposal for the first time uses the word "suspension" and links it to a tough mechanism similar to that set as a precondition to lifting the sanctions.

The British proposal calls for suspending sanctions imposed on Iraqi civil exports, namely oil.