Bulletin de liaison et d'information - Institut kurde de Paris

Revue de Presse-Press Review-Berhevoka Çapê-Rivista Stampa-Dentro de la Prensa-Basm Özeti
Iraq Sanctions Pose 'Moral Problem' Says Chirac
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Jacques Chirac said on Thursday he was uncomfortable with continuing economic
sanctions against Iraq, but said Baghdad had to realize it needed to co-operate with the United Nations.
Making a traditional New Year address to the diplomatic corp in Paris, Chirac said long-term monitoring of Iraqi
armaments should start immediately to speed the lifting of the sanctions. "Maintaining (sanctions) for the 10th year
running and thus badly hurting innocent people already enduring great suffering poses a political as well as a moral
problem," Chirac said.
He called on the United Nations Security Council to reach a rapid agreement on how to implement U.N. resolution
1284, which was adopted in December 1999 and offers an easing of sanctions if Baghdad allowed weapons inspectors
to resume their work. Arms inspectors have not been let into Iraq since December 1998, when they left on the
eve of a U.S.-British bombing raid, launched because Baghdad allegedly had not cooperated with U.N. experts
investigating its weapons of mass destruction. Chirac said the United Nations had to convince Iraq there was ~'no
alternative to the implementation" of resolution 1284. Turning to the "Middle East conflict," Chirac said the
European Union stood ready to help Israelis and Palestinians revive the shattered peace process.
"Alongside the United States, whose role is irreplaceable, the European Union can make a useful and even decisive
contribution toward brokering the conclusion and implementation of an agreement," he said. He added that no
peace deal would be complete without Syria and Lebanon also being taken into account. "France's objective is to
help Syria and Israel to overcome their mutual distrust and to renew dialogue," he said.
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4 Jan 2001
Saddam's son attacks Russian firms UPI
KADI BAGHDAD, Iraq, Jan. 4 (UPI) - The eldest son of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, Uday, on Thursday attacked
a number of Russian firms with business dealings in Iraq for being a "cover" for U.S. and British firms.
Uday made his accusations about the companies, which operate as part of the United Nation's "oil for food" program,
in a report to parliament. Uday said some Russian companies "work as a front" for U.S. and British firms that
boycott Iraq. He added that these firms were being financed by Jewish businessmen and were relying on products
imported from Israel. ' .
Uday urged the Iraqi Trade Ministry to be cautious and check the companies with which it was concluding contracts
within the oil-for-food program, which is designed to enable Iraq to sell oil on the world market in order to purchase
food for its people. Iraq recently announced that the number of Arab and foreign countries benefiting from the
U.N. program, which was adopted in 1996, reached 71, with Russian firms having won contracts at more than $2.5
billion. --
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January 3, 2001
Iraq oil contracts no longer to be assigned to phases
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United Nations has decided to no longer assign Iraq oil sales contracts to particular
six-month phases of the oil-for-food program, a U.N. official said Wednesday. The U.N. Iraqi sanctions committee
approved the change on advice of the U.N.'s in-house oil advisers, the overseers of the program.
This will offer Baghdad less rationale to disrupt oil exports at the "rollovers," or cusps, of the six-month phases of
the program, said Raad Alkadiri, analyst with the Petroleum Finance Co.
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