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RE: [casi] Banning Atropine: Orwellian logic?




Thank you for your explanations, Colin.

> As a point of clarification, the Goods Review List (GRL), whose
> contents are the centre of the UN debate here, is not a list of
> banned items.  The goods on the list are subject to review by the
> Security Council's Iraq Sanctions Committee.  Non-military items not
> on the GRL are not, and may be approved directly by UN technical
> staff (Unmovic and the IAEA).

Yes, that was a mistake mistake calling the Goods Review
List (GRL) a "list of forbidden items".

As to atropine itself, I was going by what Secretary of
State Powell said - or supposedly said. He is quoted in
numerous papers, including the Guardian, with this comment:

     "'This is not something you would want to be selling
     to Iraq at this time', Powell said." (AP story)

["Iraq Orders Antidote for Nerve Gas", Nov. 13, 2002]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-2166274,00.html

In a press conference together with Secretary General
Kofi Annan, Powell declared: "Atropine is a dual-use item."

And Secretary General Annan, at the same briefing, is quoted
as having said: "Obviously, there are dual-use items, which
we try to be as careful with as possible."
http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2002/15067.htm

So atropine being a "dual-use item" that you wouldn't want
"to be selling to Iraq" right now gave me the idea that
it was a banned item - i.e. it wouldn't stand chance of being
favourably reviewed at this time of looming war. But I probably
took Secretary Powell too literally.

Regards,
Elga





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