Re: [iac-disc.] Encouragingarticle about Iraq Sanctions

[Edward G Qubain <edqubain@DELETETHISphysics.utexas.edu>]

This may be more diplomatic flim-flam. The U.S. and U.K. know they are
isolated and may be trying to diffuse the international anger by
making some token changes which leave the blockade intact-- remember the
food for oil program? If the U.S./U.K. do not seize the initiative now
someone else may and they will loose control.
        Also notice the article atributes the 1 million figure to "Saddam"
and not the U.N. Getting CNN and the rest of the media to admit a million
people have been killed is like getting those crop circle advocates to
admit it was a hoax.

Edward Qubain

On Tue, 20 Feb 2001, Stacey M. Gottlieb wrote:

> Cnn.com has an article today about the US "rethinking" the sancions. 
> 
> There are some encouraging points in the article. Note some of the
> Orwelian double-think and Double speak, such as "sharpening sanctions"
> 
> In solidarity,
> 
> stacey gottlieb & rick vanwie
> 
> Here is the text:
> 
> Britain, U.S. rethink Iraq sanctions
>   
> Iraq claims the regime of sanctions and U.S. and British bombing raids
> are harming innocent civilians    
> February 20, 2001
> Web posted at: 8:34 AM EST (1334 GMT)
> 
> 
> LONDON, England -- Britain and the U.S. are considering easing sanctions
> on Iraq, just days after launching joint air strikes near its capital,
> Baghdad. 
> 
> A senior British diplomat is to meet U.S. officials in Washington on
> Thursday to explore an alternative format for implementing sanctions. 
> 
> Switching to so-called "smart sanctions" focused more tightly on arms
> control, and removing controls on civilian goods imposed after Iraq's
> 1990 invasion of Kuwait, was one possible change, British sources said on
> Tuesday. 
> 
> "We will see if there is room to sharpen the sanctions around weapons of
> mass destruction," a British official said. 
> 
> Baghdad blames existing sanctions for a humanitarian disaster which
> President Saddam Hussein says has killed more than one million people.
> Britain and the U.S. blame Saddam's policies for the situation. 
> 
> The impact of sanctions has been eased in the last four years by an
> "oil-for-food" arrangement that allows Iraq to sell oil and buy food and
> medicines with some of the proceeds. 
> 
> Washington and London insist sanctions cannot be finally lifted until
> Iraq complies with 1991 Gulf War ceasefire resolutions and allows U.N.
> weapons inspectors to oversee elimination of its weapons of mass
> destruction programmes. 
> 
> But Iraq, which refused to let the inspectors back in after a wave of
> U.S.-British air strikes in December 1998, argues it has already met its
> obligations and has rallied international support for a complete end to
> what it calls the blockade. 
> 
> "Sanctions were never intended to make life hell for the Iraqi people,"
> the British official said. 
> 
> Britain wants to look at ways to concentrate on stemming imports for
> Iraq's military machine, he added. 
> 
> "Unchecked, Iraq could redevelop offensive chemical and biological
> capabilities, and develop a crude nuclear device in about five years,"
> Foreign Secretary Robin Cook wrote in a British newspaper this week. 
> 
> The discussions on Iraq will take place a day before U.S. President
> George Bush meets British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Washington on
> Friday, and shortly before U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell -- an
> architect of the 1991 Gulf War that drove Iraqi troops from Kuwait --
> begins a tour of the Middle East. 
> 
> Iraq seeks U.N. explanation
> British diplomats say Powell's call to "re-energise" sanctions is in line
> with a shift towards so-called smart sanctions. 
> 
> But they add it is not clear whether his view will prevail over more
> hawkish members of Bush's new administration. 
> 
> Britain, Washington's most steadfast ally on Iraq and its only partner in
> aerial patrols over the country, has maintained its fierce public
> criticism of Saddam in recent weeks but at the same time signalled some
> flexibility on sanctions. 
> 
> Former Foreign Office minister Peter Hain said last month Saddam would
> find "reasonable people ready to do business" if he was prepared to
> negotiate the return of U.N. weapons inspectors to Iraq. 
> 
> An Iraqi delegation will meet U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan next week
> for talks aimed at trying to break the sanctions deadlock. 
> 
> A senior Iraqi official criticised the U.N. on Tuesday for failing to
> censure last week's U.S.-British air strikes near Baghdad. 
> 
> The senior member of President Saddam Hussein's ruling Baath Party
> accused the United States of blocking any such move in the U.N. Security
> Council. 
> 
> "Where is the (U.N.) Security Council... where is the United Nations and
> where are those who defend the U.N.'s charter," said Abdul-Ghani
> Abdul-Ghafur. 
> 
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