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Iraq "categorically" rejects UN resolution 1284: MP Friday, 17-Dec-1999 2:40PM Story from AFP BAGHDAD, Dec 17 (AFP) - Iraq "categorically" rejects a UN Security Council resolution which aims to get UN arms inspectors back into Iraq under a new sanctions regime, an Iraqi MP told AFP Friday. "Iraq categorically rejects this resolution," said MP Yusef Hamdan. "Iraq demands that the Security Council fulfill its commitments towards Iraq, which has carried out the resolutions of the Council, and immediately lift the sanctions that were imposed in 1990," Hamdan said. He described the vote as a "tragedy, and a bad start to the 21st century," and lashed out at the "cowardliness" of the three permanent council members -- China, France and Russia -- which abstained in the vote. "We cannot count on the cowardly stances of these great powers, who have common interests they cannot give up for the benefit of Iraq," he said. "The Russians want to guarantee themselves the silence of the Americans," he said, in a reference to Moscow's military offensive in Checnnya. "The Chinese, who are led by graduates of American universities, lose their heads as soon as the wheat trade is mentioned," he said. "As for the French, they have no differences with the Americans, except when it is a matter of different interests." "The Iraqi people have huge resources and will fight these shady plans which are not meant to lift sanctions, but aim to maintain and prolong them," he said. The UN Security Council voted Friday 11-0 in favour of resolution 1284, under which sanctions against Iraq will be suspended for renewable periods of 120 days, provided Baghdad cooperates with a new UN arms control body, to be called UNMOVIC. The three permanent Council members which abstained in the vote, withheld their power of veto over Council decisions. One non-permanent member, Malaysia, also abstained. Shortly after the vote was passed, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein chaired a meeting of several of his top officials, the official INA news agency reported. Those attending included Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan, Deputy Prime Ministers Tareq Aziz and Hikmat al-Azzawi, and Oil Minister Amir Mohammed Rashid. Iraq is demanding the unconditional lifting of the sanctions that have been in force since it invaded Kuwait in 1990, and had frequently reiterated in the run-up to the vote that it would reject the resolution. -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk Full archive and list instructions are available from the CASI website: http://welcome.to/casi