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Government sites and statements
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This section contains an incomplete listing of statements and documents
by governments and inter-governmental organisations on Iraq. It attempts
to link directly to official websites. As a result, it has fewer remarks
from those governments who have less well-developed websites. Please e-mail
CASI if you know of any links that should be added.
Click on a name on this list to go straight to the statements of the
relevant country or organisation:
- House of Commons International Development Committee
- Foreign and Commonwealth Office
- The statement of Jack Straw, Foreign
Secretary, to the UN Security Council, pp. 8-9 (20 January 2003).
- Statement
by Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary (18 December 2002) - explaining
the British position on the Iraqi weapons declaration.
- Press
release: "Time to kill the lie that the West is responsible
for the Iraqi people's suffering" (24 November 2002). See
also CASI's analysis of the
press release.
- Relations
with Iraq page: presents Britain's Iraq policy.
Recent statements include:
- Statement
on Security Council Resolution 1382 (29 November 2001): "The
introduction of a Goods Review List, under which Iraq will be free
to meet all of its civilian needs, will leave the Iraqi regime with
no further excuses for the suffering of the Iraqi people".
- Statement
by Jeremy Greenstock, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN,
in the UN Security Council (27 June 2001) - explaining and defending
the British position and the British draft resolution. (local
copy)
- Article
by FCO Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ben Bradshaw, in al-Sharq
al-Awsat newspaper on "the problem of Iraq" (21 June 2001).
- Two FCO reference documents:
- Statement
from the Foreign Office after FCO Minister, Brian Wilson held talks
with Kuwaiti Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Shaikh Mohammed
Sabah, focused on Iraq (10 April 2001).
- Edited
Transcript of an Interview given by FCO Minister Of State, Brian
Wilson, for the BBC on the sanctions on Iraq (26 February 2001).
- Statement
by the Secretary Of State For Defence, Geoff Hoon, on Operations
to Enforce the "No-Fly Zones" over Iraq, House Of Commons (26
February 2001)
- Edited Transcript of an Interview given by FCO Minister Of State,
Britain [sic - Brian] Wilson, for BBC Radio on Sanctions and Military
Strikes on Iraq.
This page is no longer accessible on the FCO site, but the text
appears in the second half of this
archived message. (21 February 2001).
- Article
by the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, in the Daily Telegraph
(20 February 2001).
- Statement
by the Defence Minister Of State, Baroness Symons, House Of Lords,
on the military strikes on Iraq (19 February 2001).
- Edited
Transcript of an Interview given by The Foreign Secretary, Robin
Cook, for BBC TV, on the bombing of Iraq (18 February 2001).
- Statement
by the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on the bombing of Iraq (17
February 2001).
-
Edited Transcript of an Interview by FCO Minister Of State, Peter
Hain, for BBC Radio 4, on sanctions and Iraq (16 January 2001).
No longer on FCO site, but the transcript is reproduced in this
archived email message.
- Article
by FCO Minister Of State, Peter Hain, in The Guardian Newspaper,
defending the sanctions regime (6 January 2001).
- Human
Rights in Iraq Deteriorate (November 2000). Please note that
this "FCO network feature" makes numerous simple factual errors,
such as the claim (p.8) that Iraq only allowed the "oil for food"
programme to commence in late 1999 (the programme actually began
in December 1996, based upon a UN-Iraq agreement from May 1996),
and the statement (p.9) that Security Council Resolution 1284 was
passed in 1996 (in fact 17 December 1999). Therefore, the FCO document
should not be relied upon for accuracy.
- 'Britain
and the Gulf 2000', speech by FCO Minister of State, Peter Hain,
London (7 November 2000). (local
copy)
- Edited
transcript of a briefing given by FCO Minister of State, Peter Hain,
London (23 October 2000).
- Britain's
Policy in the Middle East, speech by FCO Minister of State,
Peter Hain, to the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding
(CAABU) (17 July 2000).
- Proposals (11 July 2002) for Iraqi
oil pricing, attempting to arrest the decline in Iraqi oil exports.
- The UK's draft resolution to the Security
Council of 20 June 2001 proposes a variety of changes to the existing
sanctions regime. Earlier draft resolutions obtained by CASI include
those of 8 June 2001 (also in
pdf format); and 22 May 2001.
The annex to the UK's draft resolution,
dated 29 June 2001, contains a list of items still considered to be
"dual-use", and for which a special regime will continue to apply. An
earlier version of this annex, dated
24 May 2001, can also be found.
- Britain, Unscom and Iraq,
a joint website of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry
of Defence on the now-defunct Unscom. Apparently not maintained since
early 1999.
- Statement by the UK's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.22-23: "You
cannot deal with the misdeeds of a countrys Government without,
regrettably, having some impact on the civilian population."
- Statement by the UK's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.35-37: "My
Government believes that it will in fact prove impossible for Iraq to
rejoin the community of civilized nations while Saddam Hussein remains
in power."
- Statement by the UK's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.18-19:
"By provoking a human tragedy ... it [Iraq] is seeking to open a breach
in the sanctions which this Council has imposed upon it."
- Home Office
- House of
Commons
- UK political parties:
- The Liberal Democrats
Party. The LibDems has called for the lifting of the non-military
sanctions on Iraq. The speech by their foreign policy spokesman,
Menzies Campbell, is here
(18 September 2000). CASI's press release is here.
- The Labour Party:
- Labour's National
Policy Forum produced a foreign policy doument, Britain
in the World, which is almost silent on sanctions on Iraq.
Page 192 promises that "In a second term, Labour will ... make
economic sanctions less harsh on people and more effective in
penalising delinquent rulers", without offering any suggestions
as to how (7 September). CASI's submission to the process is
here.
- "Iraq briefing"
for the Parliamentary Labour Party, 5 March 2002, prepared by
Foreign Office and Labour Party officials. Presented by the
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to Labour MPs, and containing his
views on sanctions and Iraq's non-conventional weapons. Background
information to, and a review of, this briefing is here.
- The Conservative Party.
Policy recommendations can be submitted electronically to here.
- House
of Lords
- White House News Releases
- Statement
by President George W. Bush, including him saying "the
United Nations should life [sic] economic sanctions" on Iraq
(16 April 2003)
- State
of the Union address by President George W. Bush (29 January
2002): claims Iraq is part of an "axis of evil".
- Remarks
by President George W. Bush (26 November 2001): When asked about
the consequences of Saddam Hussein not allowed the readmittance
of arms inspectors, Mr Bush answered, "he'll find out."
Repeated on 16
January 2002.
- Remarks
by President George W. Bush (7 August 2001): current military
missions are in accordance with "established allied war plans".
- Remarks
by President George W. Bush (23 February 2001): "any time
anybody suffers in Iraq, we're concerned about it. [...] to the
extent the sanctions are hurting the Iraqi people, we're going to
analyze that. [...] A change in the sanction regime that is not
working should not be any kind of signal whatsoever to [Saddam Hussein]
that he should cross any line".
- Remarks
by President George W. Bush (22 February 2001): states that
sanctions are effective when "the collective will of the region
supports the [sanctions] policy" and implicitly acknowledges
that the sanctions on Iraq fail this criterion.
- Department of State
- background
briefing on reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in post-war
Iraq. (14 March 2003).
- Recent speeches by
the Secretary of State:
- List
of most recent statements on Iraq.These include:
- US
Ambassador James Cunningham's defence of US policy in the Security
Council (24 March 2000). Note that Cunningham is the US Deputy Representative
to the UN. Richard Holbrooke, its Representative, seems to have
avoided statements on Iraq.
- Saddam
Hussein's Iraq (13 September 1999, updated 24 March 2000). Called
by former UN Assistant Secretary-General Hans von Sponeck, the "finest
example of distortion: every single figure is either not referenced
or incorrect" (6 May 2000, London).
- Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - Iraq:
Up to 1999, section 1(g) of these reports comments on the human
rights consequences of the "no fly zones". The reference to these
zones has been omitted from the 2000 report.
- 2000
(25 February 2001).
- 1999
(25 February 2000).
- 1998
(26 February 1999).
- 1997
(30 January 1998).
- 1996
(30 January 1997).
- Remarks
at Town Hall Meeting, Ohio State University by Madeleine Albright,
William Cohen and Sandy Berger (18 February 1998). This is the famous
"town hall meeting" where Albright, Cohen and Berger were ridiculed
when trying to present US Iraq policy to students.
- Preserving
principle and safeguarding stability: United States policy toward
Iraq, Madeleine Albright at Georgetown University (26 March
1997). These are Ms Albright's first detailed remarks on Iraq as
Secretary of State.
- U.S. Mission to the United
Nations
- The Iraq page
contains links to many of the speeches by the U.S. permanent representative
to the U.N. on sanctions. These speeches are generally archived
on the Department of State site, above.
- Fact sheet on the
"Goods Review List" introduced by Security Council Resolution
1409 (14 May 2002).
- Statement by the US representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.20-21: "This
is not a resolution lifting sanctions. In fact, it will strengthen the
sanctions by preventing the Iraqi Government from seeking political
and military gains through the misery of the Iraqi people which it has
itself caused."
- Statement by the US representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.25-28: "As soon
as Iraq accepts the provisions of the resolution a formal cease-fire
becomes effective, and as Iraq meets the stipulations of the resolution
the sanctions regime will be modified ... Upon implementation of the
provisions dealing with weapons of mass destruction and the compensation
regime, the sanctions against Iraq's exports will also be lifted."
- Statement by the US representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.12-13: "the
mechanisms established in the resolution affirm both the genuine humanitarian
concern of the members of the Council for the condition of civilians
... and the determination of the Council to stand firmly behind the
sanctions designed to secure Iraq's withdrawal from Kuwait."
- Agency for International Development
(USAID)
- Department of Defense
.
- Operation
Northern Watch.
- Operation
Southern Watch. NOTE: This site incorrectly claims that
France participated in this "no fly zone". France does not; it condemns
the zones in
English and in
French. The error was pointed out to the webmaster on 10 July
2000; it was still there on 21 July 2002, despite the overall renovation
of the site. Information about the Shaheed Mwaffaq Air Base, Jordan,
from which some combat missions were flown for this zone, is here.
- US
Forces Order of Battle As of Tuesday 30 November 1999, posted
by the Federation of American Scientists,
a privately-funded non-profit policy organization.
- News archive.
- Photo
archive, by military operation (Southern Watch, Northern Watch,
Desert Strike and Desert Fox all relate to Iraq).
- Defense Intelligence Agency
- Iraq
Water Treatment Vulnerabilities (18 January 1991), a document
describing Iraq's water treatment system and estimating that
"it probably will take at least six months (to June 1991) before
the system is fully degraded". This report appears in the declassified
documents section of the website of the Office
of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses of the Department
of Defense. CASI has been provided with two very different interpretations
of this document. On the one hand, a paper by Thomas J. Nagy,
entitled "The Role of 'Iraq Water Treatment
Vulnerabilities' in Halting One Genocide and Preventing Others"
(12 June 2001), makes the case that it is "a planning document
for the commission of genocide" (a shorter published version
entitled, "The Secret Behind the Sanctions: How the U.S.
Intentionally Destroyed Iraq's Water Supply", is here).
Dr Nagy points out that part of this document appears to be
missing still, and thus the document has been only partially
declassified. On the other hand, an anonymous individual purporting
to be one of the document's authors explains
that it was designed to provide "an estimate/assessment of the
impact of sanctions beyond what was originally intended (double-effect/unintended
consequences)." This second source also claims that the document
was never classified in the first place.
- Displaced Civilian (DC) Camp Operations
- a Microsoft Power Point presentation dated 11 November 2002 from
the US military, most likely from the Civilian Military Operations
unit of the Combined Forces Land Component Command. Its aim is "to
coordinate Government of Kuwait/IO [International Organization]
- NGO [Non-Governmental Organization] support for Displaced Civilian
(DC) Camps in the Iraq-Kuwait demilitarized zone and Southern Iraq
in the event of coalition hostilities with Iraq, and to present
the concept for a Humanitarian Operations Center (HOC)". It includes
estimates for numbers of displaced civilians and predicts the causes
of that displacement.
- "Saddam's
Ultimate Solution": an extended interview with Richard
Perle, chairman of the Defense Policy Board on the "Wide Angle"
PBS documentary (11 July 2002).
- Armed Forces Radiobiology
Research Institute "conducts research in the field of radiobiology
and related matters essential to the operational and medical support
of the U.S. Department of Defense and the military services." They
have a research team investigating the Health
Effects of Embedded Depleted Uranium
- Department of Energy
- Department of the Treasury
- Central Intelligence Agency
- House of Representatives (Congress)
- The Senate
- Testimonies given at the Hearing before the Committee on Foreign
Relations of the United States Senate on 31 July - 1 August 2002:
- Full text (on CASI site).
- Official version: Day
1 (Khidir Hamza, Anthony Cordesman, Robert Gallucci, Morton
Halperin, Charles Duelfer, Shibley Telhami; testimonies of Richard
Butler, Joseph Hoar, Thomas McInerney, Fouad Ajami, Geoffrey
Kemp and Mark Parris are presently unavailable), Day
2 (Phebe Marr, Rahim Francke, Scott Feil, Samuel Berger;
testimonies of Sinan al-Shabibi and Caspar Weinberger presently
unavailable).
- Senate Committee
on Armed Services
- Staff Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the United
States Senate, "Chemical Weapons Use in Kurdistan: Iraq's Final
Offensive" (October 1988). The report notes that the Reagan administration,
although acknowledging Iraq's chemical attacks on Kurds, "has not
followed up with action to deter such use" (p.viii of the report).
The report is available in two parts: part
1 and part
2
- U.S. Diplomatic and Commercial
Relationships with Iraq, 1980 - 2 August 1990, prepared by
Nathaniel Hurd (15 July 2000).
The Government of France
- Summary of position
on war, disarmament and inspections from 20 January 2003 meeting of the Security
Council (23 January 2003).
- Proposals (21 June 2002) for Iraqi
oil pricing, attempting to arrest the decline in Iraqi oil exports.
- The French draft resolution before
the Security Council (19 June 2001). France has also drawn up a proposed
set of procedures for the UN Secretariat.
France produced an earlier proposal on 11 June 2001, including (i) a
draft resolution; (ii) a set of procedures
for the UN Secretariat; and (iii) a separate annex
of "dual-use" goods.
- The statement of Mr Levitte, Representative
of France at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.6-8 (26 June 2001):
arguing for authorising foreign investment into Iraq.
- Ministry
of Foreign Affairs:
- Recent
statements on Iraq (and statements
prior to April 2000). These include:
- Statement
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Spokesperson (18
June 2002): on Iraq's obligations and the humanitarian situation
in Iraq.
- Statements
on Security Council Resolution 1409 (14 - 17 May 2002).
- Statement
on the proposals to modify the sanctions regime (7 May 2002).
- Comments
on the operation of the oil-for-food programme (11-18 January
2002).
- Statement
on the adoption of SCR1382 (30 November 2001).
- Statement: "Our
objectives vis-à-vis Iraq" (28 November 2001).
- Statement
by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson on the latest
British draft (27 November 2001), which became SCR1382.
- Statements
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Iraq from 15 May - 4 September
2001: on the UK's draft Security Council resolution and
the ensuing debate.
- Statements
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Iraq from 16 February
- 9 March 2001: on US/UK air strikes, supporting an end
to sanctions, and calling for alterations in the procedures
of the UN sanctions committee (specifically with regard to the
block on importing vaccines).
- Humanitarian
flight to Iraq - Statements by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Deputy Spokesperson (3 October 2000).
-
On Unmovic - Statement by the Deputy Ministry of Foreign
Affairs spokesperson (24 August 2000).
- Interview
given by M. Hubert Védrine, Minister of Foreign Affairs,
to the daily newspaper "Al Hayat" (excerpts) Paris, 1 August
2000: "France considers that the sanctions imposed on Iraq
for the past ten years have become cruel, ineffective and dangerous.
Cruel because the punishment falls solely on the Iraqi people
and the weakest among them; ineffective since they don't hit
the regime, which isn't being given any incentive to cooperate;
dangerous since, by fuelling resentment on the part of the "embargo
generation", that generation of young people who have known
only war and deprivation, they are aggravating the disintegration
of Iraqi society."
- Approval
of Unmovic's plan for weapons control and verification -
Statement made by the Deputy Foreign Ministry Spokesman (Paris,
April 14, 2000)
- On
UK and US bombing of Iraq - Statement made by the Foreign
Ministry Spokesperson (Excerpts, 7 April 2000): "We deeply deplore
[the bombings raids] ... [they] have no juridical foundation."
- Permanent Mission of France to
the United Nations:
- Statement by France's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.18-20. France
here is explaining its draft text that became Resolution 706, allowing
Iraq to export limited quantities of oil to fund a humanitarian programme
(the origins of the "oil for food" programme): "The text that has been
adopted does not aim at establishing definitive rules. It was conceived
as a response to an emergency situation for a period of six months."
- Statement by France's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.28-29: "France
is gravely concerned about the plight of the civilian population....
The necessary goal of the restoration of lasting peace in the Gulf should
not involve measures that are unnecessarily punitive or vindictive against
the Iraqi people. It would be unjust if they were held responsible for
the actions of their leaders."
- Statement by France's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.16-17:
supporting Resolution 666.
The Government of Russia
- Summary of position
on war, disarmament and inspections from 20 January 2003 meeting of the Security
Council (23 January 2003).
- CASI obtained two very different sanctions proposals from Russia to
the Security Council:
- The Russian text is explained and defended in the statement
by Sergei Lavrov, the Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation
at the UN, at the Security Council on 26 June 2001. See also the further
statement
of 27 June 2001 by Alexander Yakovenko, the Official Spokesman Of Russia's
Ministry of Foreign Affairs which explains the need for an alternative
to US/UK proposals for "smart sanctions".
- Russian
President Vladimir Putin's Message to the Participants of the Conference
of the Arab Heads of State and Government in Amman, Jordan (28 March
2001): proposing a compromise formula for the suspension of sanctions.
The Iraqi cabinet welcomed this proposal, according to press
reports.
- Ministry
of Foreign Affairs
- Statement by the Soviet Union's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.24-25.
- Statement by the Soviet Union's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.31-33: "The
resolution, we believe, properly reflects the need for a solution to
be found to Kuwait's and Iraq's humanitarian problems. Its adoption
will make it possible immediately to proceed to supply foodstuffs and
medicine, as well as goods and materials intended to meet the fundamental
needs of the civilian population. This is of vital importance to the
people of Iraq, which is on the brink of starvation and an epidemiological
catastrophe."
- Statement by the Soviet Union's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.24-25:
"the basic fact that the primordial reason for all those problems is
the continuing occupation and annexation of the State of Kuwait by Iraq
.... The adoption of sanctions was a natural and necessary reaction
to an act of aggression".
The Government of China
- President Jiang Zemin:
- Summary of position
on war, disarmament and inspections from 20 January 2003 meeting of the Security
Council (23 January 2003).
- The statement of Mr Wang Yingfan,
Representative of China at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.10-11
(26 June 2001): "The 11-year-old sanctions have brought dire suffering
to the Iraqi people. In particular they have penalized large numbers
of innocent women and children .... there is a need to clearly define
the criteria for terminating the sanctions against Iraq."
- Permanent Mission of China
to the UN.
- Brief summary
of China's position on Iraq, the sanctions and the "no-fly
zones".
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (English / Chinese).
Recent statements on Iraq are listed here.
- Statement by China's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, p.21: "The
ever-deteriorating situation faced by the Iraqi people has for some
time been a question of deep concern to the international community,
including China. Sound recommendations were made in the report submitted
by His Excellency Prince Sadruddin Aga Khan, Executive Delegate of the
Secretary-General, but regrettably the Security Council has taken no
action on those recommendations."
- Statement by China's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.29-31: "the
resolution includes some unnecessary restrictions on the lifting of
economic sanctions against Iraq. The Iraqi people are innocent. The
Security Council should, in light of the development of the situation,
ease and lift economic sanctions as soon as possible, so as to bring
the economy of all the countries in the region back to normality at
an early date."
- Statement by China's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.2-3,
13-14: supporting Resolution 666, with reservations.
The Government of Australia
The Government of Austria
The Government of Bahrain
The Government of Bangladesh
- The statement of Mr. Chowdhury,
Representative of Bangladesh at the UN, at the Security Council,
pp.23-24 (26 June 2001): "The strict control on Iraq's imports and exports
has resulted in a steady decline in the living conditions of the Iraqi
people.... Security Council resolution 1284 (1999)...is deficient in
not indicating clearly a pathway towards the suspension and final lifting
of the sanctions... If the Council fails to get the political perspective
right, no procedural simplification is likely to bring the desired result".
The Government of Belgium
The Government of Colombia
The Government of Congo (Democratic Republic; formerly Zaire)
The Government of Côte d'Ivoire
The Government of Cuba
- Statement by Cuba's representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.15-17: "In
the opinion of my delegation, the Council should have acted a long time
ago in order to put an end completely to the economic sanctions, which
cease to be justified at a time when the reasons which had justified
them - which are set forth in Security Council resolution 661 (1990)
- have been taken care of."
- Statement by Cuba's representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.17-21: "The Council
has persistently ignored the fact that the economic sanctions were established
in order to ensure compliance with one paragraph of resolution 660 (1990),
which called for the unconditional withdrawal of Iraqi troops from the
territory of Kuwait.....The Council tries to ignore the fact that the
continuation of those sanctions, imposed rightly or wrongly, is doing
great harm to the people of Iraq."
- Statement by Cuba's representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.6-11: "We
do not believe that anyone has the political, juridical or moral authority
to apply any inhuman measures such as those whose sole and exclusive
victims would be innocent civilians. And that is what we are now concerned
with here. .... This indeed may be the point of no return."
The Government of Ecuador
The Government of Egypt
- President Hosni Mubarak:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Joint news
conference between Foreign Minister Amre Moussa and US Secretary
of State Colin Powell (Cairo, 24 February 2001).
- Air
strikes against Iraq unjustified (19 February 2001), according
to Foreign Minister Amre Moussa.
- Air raids against
Iraq serious negative step (Algiers, 17 February 2001), according
to Foreign Minister Amre Moussa.
- Egypt Deplores
Air Strikes against Iraq: Foreign Minister Moussa Underlines They
are Unjustified, Defying Legitimacy (Rome, 18 February 2001).
- The Situation
in the Gulf: Foreign Minister Moussa Calls for Reassessment
(Davos, 27 January 2001): notes widespread Arab popular opposition
to sanctions.
- Sanctions on
Iraq Going to the Outer Limits Should Come to an End (Cairo,
30 September 2000): in a strongly worded statement, Foreign Minister
Amre Moussa says that the situation induced by sanctions is "deplorable".
- Egypt pursues
diligent efforts on the Iraqi issue to get sanctions lifted
(Cairo, 21 September 2000).
- Interview
with Minister of Foreign Affairs Amre Moussa. Al-Hayat Newspaper
(15 September 2000 in Arabic only).
- Continued
Sanctions on Iraq, Unacceptable, Void of Logic for Arabs, Minister
of Foreign Affairs Amre Moussa Reiterated, press release (28
July 2000).
The Government of Ethiopia
The Government of Finland
The Government of Germany
- Comments
by Pope John Paul II (28 April 2001): "As the embargo in your country
continues to claim victims, I renew my appeal to the international community
that innocent people should not be made to pay the consequences of a
destructive war whose effects are still being felt by those who are
weakest and most vulnerable."
- Speech
by Pope John Paul II (18 March 2000): "all the Iraqi people who
are being so severely tried by the continuing international embargo,
never cease to be present in my thoughts. I assure all those who are
suffering, especially the women, children and elderly, of my prayerful
support."
- Speech
by Pope John Paul II (10 January 1998): "an entire people is the
victim of a constraint which puts it in hazardous conditions of survival.
I refer to our brothers and sisters in Iraq, living under a pitiless
embargo [...]. The weak and the innocent cannot pay for mistakes for
which they are not responsible."
The Government of India
- The statement of Mr. Pal, Representative
of India at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.4-5 (28 June 2001):
"We have repeatedly called for these sanctions to be lifted in tandem
with Iraq's compliance with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
... We hope the Council will act urgently to end the long nightmare
of the people of Iraq".
- Ministry of External Affairs
- Statement by India's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.26-28: "India's
view has always been that the Security Council has the obligation to
redress the plight of the innocent, just as the international community,
as a whole, has partially been doing. .... India has consistently and
repeatedly advocated a generous and effective approach to tackling the
humanitarian situation in Iraq. To our regret, our efforts did not receive
the unanimous support of Council members."
- Statement by India's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.21-24: "Ever
since the termination of the armed hostilities, my delegation has been
preoccupied with lifting the embargo on the supply of humanitarian needs
to the people of both Iraq and Kuwait. .... The least that the Council
can and should do is formally to lift the sanctions against the supply
of all the commodities listed in the Ahtisaari report... My delegation
firmly believes that all non-military sanctions against Iraq should
also be lifted as soon as Iraq conveys acceptance of the present draft
resolution."
The Government of Indonesia
The Government of Iran
The Government of Iraq
- The letter
from the Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri to the UN Secretary-General
of 16 September 2002 (doc. no.S/2002/1034): "I am pleased to inform
you of the decision of the Government of the Republic of Iraq to allow
the return of United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq without conditions."
- The letter from Iraqi Foreign Minister
Naji Sabri to the United Nations Secretary-General of 15 August 2002
(doc. no. S/2002/939). This letter also includes a list of the questions
put to the Security Council in March 2002, and which have not been fully
answered as yet. A partial explanation of the lack of an answer is contained
in this
report on a statement by a representative of the US mission to the
UN.
- The text of the 19 questions presented
by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri to the UN Secretary-General on
7 March 2002, as released by the Iraqi
News Agency on 10 July 2002. The version of these questions presented
by the UN Secretary-General to the Security Council is here.
- The statement of Mr. Al-Qaysi, Representative
of Iraq at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.15-31 (28 June 2001):
opposing the proposed new regime of sanctions as "a new facet of neo-colonialism".
- Iraqi Mission to the UN
- Ministry of Agriculture: Drought report
(April 1999).
- The Iraqi Presidency
- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- The Ministry of
Health has frequent reports on the effects of sanctions.
- The Iraqi News
Agency
- "Impact of the economic embargo on the
economic, social and cultural situation in Iraq" (29 January
1996), a paper submitted by the Iraqi government to the UN Commission
on Human Rights.
- Statement by Iraq's representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.2-11: claims
to have fulfilled all the conditions for the lifting of sanctions required
by the Security Council.
- Report submitted by the Iraqi government
to the United Nations Secretary-General, on Iraq’s economic situation
(29 April 1991). It asks for a moratorium of "at least five years"
before reparations required under section E of UNSCR
687 (1991) begin to be deducted from Iraq’s oil revenues.
- Statement by Iraq's representative at
the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.7-11, 44-45:
"If the Council insists on maintaining the blockade and the economic
sanctions, Iraq and the international community in general, particularly
the countries of the third world, will discover that the essence of
the new world order is the order of United States sovereignty over the
entire world and its international Organization, the imposition of the
will of the United States on the international community, and the exploitation
of the Security Council and the Charter of the United Nations as tools
to lend legitimacy to the United States greed for plundering the economic
resources of other countries and for imposing its hegemony over the
world".
The Government of Israel
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
- Rabin endorses
continued sanctions against Iraq (14 August 1994): "We support
the policy of President Clinton and the policy of sanctions against
Iraq in order to change its behavior... we line up with the United
States and the other developed nations to bring Iraq to change its
policies."
- Permanent Mission to the United
Nations:
- Speech
by Mr. Jeremy Issacharoff, Representative of Israel to the first
Committee, head of Regional Security and Arms Control, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs Jerusalem (13 October 2000): "The United
Nations bears a critical responsibility to the countries of the
Middle East to ensure that Iraq is disarmed of all its WMD and missile
capabilities in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions."
The Government of Italy
- Ministry of Foreign
Affairs
- Statement
on the Gulf States (updated in early-mid 2002): "Italy
has also followed the developments in the Iraqi crisis closely and
in particular, the humanitarian and social aspects to assess the
consequences of the continued sanctions on the local population.
The government continues to operate .. to ease the application of
sanctions with a view to ending the embargo given their impact on
the humanitarian situation in Iraq, which is deteriorating."
- The statement of Mr. Vento, Representative
of Italy at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.9-10 (28 June 2001):
"one cannot but feel the greatest compassion for the innocent civilian
population of Iraq, where health conditions, especially those of women
and children, remain critical and cry out for a prompt and appropriate
response by the international community. ...Measures must be devised
to stimulate the supply of commodities and services and to facilitate
economic cooperation, including investment in civilian sectors".
- The statement of Miss Durrant, Representative
of Jamaica at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.22-23 (26 June
2001): "Jamaica has consistently stated in the Council that sanctions
regimes must be focused, effectively targeted and of limited duration.
We have also emphasized that sanctions must be designed in such a way
that the civilian population is not made to suffer for the intransigence
of its leaders. For this reason, Jamaica supports the current efforts
being undertaken in the Security Council to modify the sanctions regime
so as to alleviate the suffering of the Iraqi people".
The Government of Jordan
- The statement of Prince Zeid Raad
Zeid Al-Hussein, Representative of Jordan at the UN, at the Security
Council, pp.28-29 (26 June 2001): "Iraq continues to pay a hefty
price as a consequence of the comprehensive sanctions imposed upon it
that will have an impact on future generations of the Iraqi population
in terms of their food, livelihood, health and prospects for economic
growth and development. The result is an unprecedented case of civilian
suffering. ... This type of collective punishment, the most severe in
the history of the United Nations, did not achieve its declared purposes
of consolidating peace and security. On the contrary, those sanctions
created conditions that in the long run may endanger the future of the
whole region. ...We believe that the only way out of the current crisis
lies in the lifting of sanctions imposed against Iraq by the Council...".
- Statement
from the Jordanian Parliament opposing the imposition of smart sanctions,
11 June 2001: article in ArabicNews.com of 13 June 2001
- "King Abdullah
reiterates call for lifting sanctions on Iraq", partial translation
of interview by Abdullah with al-Hayat newspaper of 11 April
2001
- King
Abdullah's conference with the US National Press Club, Washington,
11 April 2001: gives his view of US policy shifts on Iraq.
- Report on
King Abdullah's meeting with George W. Bush, Washington, 10 April
2001: "The King reiterated his call for lifting the decade-old UN sanctions
on Baghdad and ending the suffering of the Iraqi people"
- King Abdullah's
interview with the Los Angeles Times, 8 April 2001: "We all understand
that the problem in Iraq is relieving the sanctions on the people of
Iraq."
- Speech by
King Abdullah at the Arab Summit in Amman, 27 March 2001.
- Press release on a Speech
by the Prime Minister of Jordan 'Abd al-Ra'uf al-Rawabdeh to the
Inter-Parliamentary Union (Amman, 4 May 2000): "We call for lifting
the embargo on Iraq". See also the subsequent article in the Jordan
Times: Rawabdeh
calls for end to sanctions on Iraq.
The Government of Kenya
The Government of Libya
- The statement of Mr. Babaa, Representative
of Libya at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.2-3 (28 June 2001):
"we believe that sanctions must be immediately lifted without delay
when the reasons for their imposition are eliminated. We believe that
sanctions run counter to human rights.... The sanctions imposed by the
Security Council against Iraq have become a crime of genocide against
the Iraqi people. The States that object to the lifting of those sanctions
are guilty of that crime".
- The statement of Mr. Hasmy, Representative
of Malaysia at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.31-33 (26 June
2001): "comprehensive sanctions against Iraq have resulted in the severe
suffering of innocent civilians and caused profound socio-economic dislocations.
The fact remains that a decade of the most comprehensive and punitive
sanctions ever imposed on a society has decimated Iraq as a modern State,
effectively forcing that country's economy back to a pre-industrial
age and making it ever so dependent on the United Nations humanitarian
programme for basic survival. ... We do not believe that the Council's
efforts for disarmament in respect of Iraq, which in fact have made
significant progress, should continue to be linked to a policy of comprehensive
sanctions that have resulted in the loss of lives and untold suffering
for the Iraqi people. We do not believe the situation today justifies
the continuation of these comprehensive sanctions".
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Mercy
Flights to Iraq not against UN Resolution, press release (2
October 2000).
- Government
supports NGO Humanitarian Missions to Iraq, press release (1
October 2000).
- Speech
by PM at IKIM, Kuala Lumpur (30 June 2000).
- UN
Economic Sanctions on Iraq, press release (23 March 2000).
- Dr
Mahathir's World Analysis: 'US should avoid treating China as a
potential enemy' (23 September 1999)
- Official
visit by the Vice President of Iraq to Malaysia, press release
(May 1999).
- Speech
by DPM at the official dinner in honour of the Vice President of
Iraq, press release (10 May 1999).
- Statement
by FM on the US Military Strike On Iraq, press release (17 December
1998).
- Standoff
between Iraq and UNSCOM, press release (12 November 1998).
- Statement
by FM at the Annual Meeting of FMs of OIC , New York (1 October
1998).
- Statement
by Amb. Hasmy Agam during the debate on the situation on Iraq ,
New York (2 March 1998).
- Press
Statement by FM on the Iraq-UNSCOM Standoff, press release (18
February 1998).
- Statement by Malaysia's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, p.20: "Sanctions
are only justified by the collective objectives of effecting withdrawal
and of reinstating Kuwait."
The Government of Netherlands
- New
Zealand's policy on Iraq, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
Trade: advocates a change to smart sanctions, expresses its concern
at US and UK bombing.
- Speech by Matt Robson, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, "Iraq
sanctions aren’t working" (29 November 2001): "The sanctions
have mostly failed to dent the influence and power of Saddam Hussein.
In the meantime 1.5 million Iraqis have died.... New Zealand also advocates
the use of smart sanctions."
- The statement of Mr. MacKay, Representative
of New Zealand at the UN, at the Security Council, p.6 (28 June
2001): "sanctions must be targeted for maximum effectiveness and focused
so as to minimize any harmful impact on the humanitarian needs of the
civilian population concerned. ... The urgent need to alleviate the
serious humanitarian suffering of the Iraqi civilian population is well
recognized".
- Foreign Minister, Phil Goff, criticised
the Security Council on sanctions (18 April 2000), press release.
The Government of Oman
- Remarks of Oman's Foreign Minister at the opening of the UN General
Assembly's 55th session (English
| Arabic)
(16 September 2000).
- Summary
of speech by Oman's Foreign Minister at the UN General Assembly's
54th session, in General Assembly press release GA/9607 (24
September 1999): calls for the lifting of sanctions. Also summarised
here.
The Government of Romania
The Government of Saudi Arabia
- Interview
with Prince Sultan ibn Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Prime Minister,
Minister of Defence and Aviation and Inspector General, for al-Sharq
al-Awsat newspaper on 24 August 2001 (translated by Ain al-Yaqeen):
"Saudi Arabia has absolutely no interest in imposing sanctions against
Baghdad or creating any political and military tension ... We welcome
Iraq's return into the Arab fold."
- The statement of Mr. Shobokshi,
Representative of Saudi Arabia at the UN, at the Security Council,
pp.29-30 (26 June 2001): "We also called for an overhaul of this regime
to put an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people by enabling Iraq
to import all its basic humanitarian needs, medical supplies, foodstuffs
and educational material, without requiring the prior consent of the
Council. ... Sanctions should be restricted to the acquisition of arms,
military equipment and dual-use materials as stipulated in relevant
Security Council resolutions...".
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs:
under construction
- Saudi Press Agency
The Government of Spain
The Government of Syria
The Government of Thailand
The Government of Tunisia
The Government of Turkey
The Government of Ukraine
The Government of Yemen
- "Yemen
urges Arab states to lift embargo on Iraq": report on speech
by Yemen's President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Times of India, 26 March 2002:
"We stress the importance of taking a collective Arab initiative
at the Beirut summit to lift, unilaterally if needs be, the embargo
imposed on Iraq for 11 years".
- The statement of Mr. Al-Ashtal,
Representative of Yemen at the UN, at the Security Council, pp.10-11
(28 June 2001): "The comprehensive embargo imposed on Iraq 10 years
ago continues ceaselessly to crush the Iraqi people. ... Indeed, life
has come to an end for hundreds of thousands of children felled by disease
and epidemic in the wake of a comprehensive blockade imposed by military
force. ...The embargo imposed on Iraq, whether smart or stupid, today
has no political or ethical justification".
- Statement by Yemen's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.12-14: "Everybody
says that he is not against the Iraqi people. Why then do some insist
on the continuation of its suffering? Why do these people not lift from
its shoulders the embargo that is harming and weakening Iraqi society
day by day?"
- Statement by Yemen's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.11-15: "why
this cruelty to the Iraqi people, who suffered from the aerial bombardment
for a whole month, who suffered from the intensified destruction, and
who had already suffered the embargo for seven months?"
- Statement by Yemen's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 13 September 1990, pp.3-6:
"we refuse to starve the weak and innocent in Iraq and Kuwait, including
those of third countries, as a way to achieve political ends, since
the use of such methods is in contradiction to many international humanitarian
agreements prohibiting them, for such inhumane actions make victims
of innocent civilians who have no part in the conflict. ... Surely the
Council does not wish to take the responsibility of exposing these persons
to disease and starvation. For if that were to happen we should not
blame the Government of Iraq; we would have to bear part of the responsibility."
The Government of Zimbabwe
- Statement by Zimbabwe's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 15 August 1991, pp.14-15: "The
critical humanitarian situation facing the people of Iraq following
the end of the Gulf war has been a source of grave concern to Zimbabwe...
we cannot fail to register our reservations regarding those provisions
of the draft resolution before us which encroach on national sovereignty."
- Statement by Zimbabwe's representative
at the UN in the Security Council on 3 April 1991, pp.16-17: "It
was also my delegation's expectation that, in keeping with the commitment
it expressed in the presidential statement issued on 3 March regarding
the humanitarian aspects of the situation in Iraq, the Council would,
through the present draft resolution, proceed beyond the recent decision
taken by the Committee established under resolution 661 (1990) and lift
all remaining restrictions on the supply of foodstuffs and essential
civilian needs to Iraq."
- The
Beirut Declaration (unofficial translation of excerpts) of 28 March
2002: "The Council calls for lifting the sanctions on Iraq and
ending the tribulation of the fraternal Iraqi people. [...] The Council
rejects threats of aggression against some Arab states, particularly
Iraq, and reiterates categorical rejection of attacking Iraq."
Other translated versions: 1,
2,
3.
- The statement of Mr. Hassouna, Permanent
Observer of the Arab League at the UN, at the Security Council,
pp.14-15 (28 June 2001): "The League of Arab States calls for the lifting
of the sanctions against Iraq and for an end to the blockade".
- The
Amman Declaration (unofficial translation) of 28 March 2001: "We
call for lifting the sanctions on Iraq and for dealing with the humanitarian
issues pertaining to Iraqi, Kuwaiti and other prisoners of war according
to the principles of our religion and national heritage."
- A draft
text on Iraq was drawn up for the final statement of the Amman summit
(27-28 March 2001). Although there is still some dispute about this,
it is generally believed that every Arab State except Iraq accepted
it, and the text was then dropped from the final statement.
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