Iraq's UN Ambassador Criticizes Security Council on Sanctions

Iraq's UN ambassador and chief negotiator for the oil-for-food program, Abdul Al Anbari, expressed frustration with certain members of the UN Security Council who he believes are seeking to prolong a 10-year regime of strict trade sanctions. Anbari criticized a UN resolution passed in December 1999, which would suspend sanctions once Iraq cooperated with weapons inspections, but ultimately failed to address the need for economic rehabilitation in Iraq. Anbari argued that the resolution "effectively capped" Iraq's production capacity by blocking contracts for spare parts for its oil sector. Meanwhile, Iraqi political analyst Burhan Mahmud Al Chalabi called on Britain to break the impasse between Iraq and the US by reopening a dialogue, which could lead to a breakthrough on the political front.

Key Takeaways:

• Abdul Al Anbari, Iraq's UN ambassador, accused some members of the UN Security Council of seeking to prolong a 10-year regime of stringent trade sanctions.
• A UN resolution passed in December 1999, which aimed to suspend sanctions once Iraq cooperated with weapons inspections, was criticized by Anbari as "fundamentally flawed."
• The resolution eliminated the revenue ceiling on the oil-for-food program, but Anbari argued that the Sanctions Committee had effectively capped Iraq's production capacity by blocking contracts for spare parts.
• Burhan Mahmud Al Chalabi, an Iraqi political analyst, called on Britain to break the impasse between Iraq and the US by reopening a dialogue, which could lead to a breakthrough on the political front.
• Chalabi emphasized the need for economic rehabilitation in Iraq, calling for an immediate injection of $30 billion to boost the economy.
• A Western oil executive suggested that resolving the economic aspect of the sanctions could lead to a breakthrough on the political front.

Statistics:

• 10 years: the reported duration of the strict trade sanctions imposed on Iraq
• 1996: the year the UN allowed Iraq to sell oil for humanitarian aid under its oil-for-food program
• $30 billion: the amount called for by Chalabi to boost Iraq's economy

Sources:

• Iraq's UN ambassador and chief negotiator for the oil-for-food program, Abdul Al Anbari
• Iraqi political analyst Burhan Mahmud Al Chalabi
• UN Security Council Resolution 1284 (December 1999)
• A Western oil executive, anonymous