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Iraq has made its strongest challenge yet to United Nations sanctions by suspending oil exports after demanding that buyers pay a surcharge into a bank account unsupervised by the UN. The move is part of a campaign to erode the sanctions and show the ineffectiveness of the UN Security Council.
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Iraq has taken a significant step in supporting the Palestinian cause by deciding to include Palestinians in the UN oil-for-food program, aimed at alleviating the crippling impacts of sanctions on Iraq. The cabinet meeting, concluded late Saturday night, saw Iraqi President Saddam Hussein order a formal request to be submitted
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Iraq has taken a significant step in its efforts to challenge the UN sanctions regime by pumping crude oil into a pipeline running to the Syrian terminal at Banias, according to industry sources. The pipeline, reportedly flowing at about 150,000 barrels per day, is expected to fill up by
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Iraqi engineers have repaired the country's oil pipeline to Syria, which was closed in 1982, and it is now ready for use. The 890km pipeline runs from the Iraqi pumping station of Haditha into Syria and west to the Mediterranean port of Banias. Negotiations between Iraq and Syria
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Iraq is considering cutting its petroleum exports under the "oil for food" agreement due to delays in shipments of essential commodities, including food and medical supplies. The move comes as Iraq's oil dues of $8.3 billion remain deposited in a New York bank account, while
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The United Nations compensation commission, established to settle claims from countries and companies affected by Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, has been obstructed by a disagreement between the United States, Russia, and France over a $21.6 billion claim submitted by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. The commission&
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As the US-led coalition continues its efforts to isolate Iraq, a recent rapprochement between Iraq and Syria has highlighted the growing divide between Washington and its European allies. The resumption of rail links between Baghdad and Aleppo, a crucial development that ended a 20-year break in service, has been seen
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Allied airstrikes targeting southern Iraq have resumed for a second day, damaging a train station and homes, and wounding at least three people. Lieutenant General Shaheen Yassin Ahmad, commander of the Iraqi air defense, stated that British and American warplanes attacked targets in Samawa, a city 170 miles south of
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As the world continues to observe the worsening humanitarian situation in Iraq, foreign leaders are increasingly speaking out against US-imposed sanctions. The most recent development came yesterday when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called on the international community to take note of the suffering in Iraq. Following a visit to Iraq
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Russian oil companies have secured 104 million barrels of Iraqi crude in Phase 8 of the UN oil-for-food deal, with 15 firms approved to lift the oil. Lukoil, however, has been left out due to its failure to develop the West Qurna field. Zarubezhneft leads the pack with 20 million
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Iraq's recent test of its Al-Samud rocket, which has a range of less than 150 kilometers, has reignited concerns about its capacity to build and deploy weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Although the test does not violate UN restrictions, the fact that the facilities where the rocket was
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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
