A-Infos (en) London Times Hot version of UN-Iraq accord.

[MichaelP <papadop@PEAK.ORG>]

________________________________________________
     A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
           http://www.ainfos.ca/
________________________________________________

London Times   February 24 1998 IRAQ CRISIS
   
   The accord 
     
   'Black hole' on inspection procedures remains to be filled
   
   FROM JAMES BONE IN NEW YORK
   
   THE seven-point Memorandum of Understanding negotiated with Iraq by
   Kofi Annan, the United Nations Secretary-General, calls for a "special
   group" of diplomats and weapons inspectors, headed by a commissioner
   chosen by the UN chief, to inspect Iraq's presidential sites.
   
   But details of the accord, obtained last night by The Times, reveal
   that key procedures for the inspection of those sites remain
   unresolved and are to be agreed at an unspecified future date. One
   Western diplomat called the omission a "huge black hole" in the
   accord, which will have to be filled with further talks. In the
   agreement, Iraq pledges to grant weapons inspectors "unfettered
   access" to all other places in the country. Mr Annan promises to bring
   the issue of the sanctions on Iraq to the full attention of the
   Security Council. The UN Special Commission (Unscom), responsible for
   ridding Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, will work to present its
   report calling for a lifting of sanctions "expeditiously".
   
   The seven-point plan can be summarised as follows:
   
   1. The Government of Iraq reiterates that it will comply with all
   relevant Security Council resolutions and to co-operate with Unscom in
   the elimination of banned weaponry;
   
   2. The UN reiterates the commitment of its members to respect Iraq's
   sovereignty and territorial integrity;
   
   3. The Government of Iraq pledges to give Unscom immediate, unfettered
   and unconditional access in accordance with Security Council
   Resolutions 687 and 715, which set up the weapons inspection regime.
   Unscom promises to respect legitimate Iraqi concerns about its
   national security, sovereignty and dignity.
   
   4. The UN and the Government of Iraq agree the following special
   procedures for entry to the presidential sites specified in an annexe
   to the memorandum:
   
   (a) A special group will be formed for this purpose and appointed by
   the UN Secretary-General in consultation with the executive chairman
   of Unscom and the director-general of the International Atomic Energy
   Agency. This group will include diplomats appointed by the UN
   Secretary-General and experts from Unscom and the IAEA and will be
   headed by a commissioner appointed by the Secretary-General;
   
   (b) In carrying out its task, the special group will work according to
   approved procedures of Unscom and the IAEA and according to special
   procedures that will be worked out, in accordance with relevant
   Security Council resolutions, due to the special nature of
   presidential sites;
   
   (c) A report on the activities of the special group will be submitted
   to the Security Council by the executive chairman of Unscom through
   the UN Secretary-General.
   
   5. The UN and the Government of Iraq agree that all other areas,
   equipment, documents, means of transportation and facilities will be
   subject to Unscom's procedures;
   
   6. Taking into consideration the progress achieved by Unscom in all
   areas of disarmament and the need to intensify efforts to end its
   mission, the UN and Iraq agree to improve their co-operation, their
   efficiency, their activity and transparency to enable Unscom to
   present its report expeditiously to the Security Council under
   paragraph 22 of Resolution 687 (lifting the oil embargo), and to
   achieve this the Iraqi Government and Unscom will implement the
   recommendations of the extraordinary session of Unscom convened on
   November 21, 1997.
   
   7. The lifting of the sanctions is of great importance to the people
   and Government of Iraq, therefore the UN Secretary-General pledges to
   draw the full attention of Security Council members to the issue.
   
** NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material
is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest
in receiving the included information for research and educational
purposes. **




     ****** A-Infos News Service *****
  News about and of interest to anarchists

Subscribe -> email MAJORDOMO@TAO.CA
             with the message SUBSCRIBE A-INFOS
Info      -> http://www.ainfos.ca/
Reproduce -> please include this section