Iraq opposes any UN decision not considering its position

Iraq newly stated that the five permanent member states in the UN Security Council "know quite well that issuing any decision concerning Iraq without taking its opinion will be born dead."

Iraqi Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said during the opening of Baghdad International Fair that his country opposes any project undertaken without taking Iraq's opinion and which does not urge lifting the economic sanctions immediately with no conditions. He also said Iraq refuses the return of the weapons inspection committees, depicting them as "spies."

Yesterday, the US ambassador at the UN, Richard Hallbrook, said that a deal is very close to be negotiated, but added that the US will not accept a deal that will permanently lift the sanctions of Iraq.

The Security Council has been discussing for three months draft resolutions concerning the future of relations between Iraq and the UN, one of which is a Russian draft that calls for suspending the sanctions for a limited period with armament control then lifting up the siege. The second draft resolution is a French draft that calls for suspending the sanctions for 120 days while imposing financial and arms control that is characterized by transparency, while the main draft supported by USA is the UK - Dutch draft calling for suspending the petroleum sanctions for four months, to be renewed if Iraq presents enough guarantees of cooperating to illuminate any prohibited weapons.