Those bureaucrats and their program are but one card — and not even a very high card. They will stay or go away almost by accident. Any player could choose to discard them on a whim, if they think a higher card might come their way. |
Posted on 04/22/2003 4:10:30 PM PDT by Shermy
UNITED NATIONS, April 22 (AFP) - The United Nations (news - web sites) urged the Security Council to extend its oil-for-food programme in Iraq, as council members discussed lifting the sanctions which made it necessary in the first place.
"Reliance will not stop as of June 3, 2003, when the current phase of the programme comes to an end," programme director Benon Sevan told the council.
"If anything, with the current uncertainties and difficulties, the Iraqi people will be even more dependent, unless there is a quick economic recovery."
Sevan's remarks, made to council members behind closed doors, were released by the UN spokesman's office.
Oil-for-food has grown into a 10-billion-dollar-a-year industry since it was set up in December 1996 to cushion Iraqi citizens from the crippling sanctions imposed on their country after it invaded Kuwait six year previously.
US President George W. Bush said last week that, since Iraq had been "liberated" by US and British troops who toppled Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, the council should lift sanctions promptly.
Critics of the war, notably France and Russia, have said they will not accept any council decision which might be seen as justifying the invasion.
France did call, however, for the suspension of civilian sanctions, a move which would end the trade ban and air embargo in practice but leave them in place in law.
"I have proposed that the decision should be taken to immediately suspend the civilian sanctions," France's ambassador to the United Nations, Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, told reporters before the briefing with Sevan.
He did not say whether France wanted the United Nations to retain control over Iraq's oil revenues, but he noted that 60 percent of Iraq's 23 million people depend on the programme and said it should be phased out, not abruptly ended.
On March 28, the council adopted Resolution 1472, giving UN Secretary General Kofi Annan authority 45 days to run the programme in place of the Iraqi government, which was previously responsible for contracting with its suppliers.
The arrangements run out on May 12, but Sevan asked the council as a matter of urgency to extend them until June 3, when the current six-month phase of the programme expires.
The arrangements enable Annan to redefine the priorities of the programmes, but Sevan said "in the relatively limited time period" it was possible to expedite barely half of the 266 contracts identified as priorities.
"Only those goods in 160 contracts with a total value of 454.6 million dollars could be shipped within the mandated period, out of a pipeline worth some 10 billion dollars," he said.
Sevan said "urgent and pragmatic action" was needed to "remove some of the bottlenecks we have been facing in the delivery of emergency humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people."
Among the major difficulties were "delays in receiving the necessary security clearance from the occupying powers," he said.
Raising another issue that has been contentious in the past, Sevan urged the Security Council to free some of Iraq's oil revenues so buy cereals locally.
"Iraq is expected to have a bumper wheat harvest, on the scale of last year," he said.
"Despite our effort last year, we failed to secure the agreement of all parties concerned regarding the necessary arrangements to purchase wheat locally," he said in a remarks made available to reporters.
UN relief agencies have tried for several years to persuade the Security Council to allow part of the oil money to be used to purchase local goods and services, instead of importing all of Iraq's humanitarian needs.
"This would help to jump start the local economy and provide significant employment opportunities," Sevan told the council.
"Raising another issue that has been contentious in the past, Sevan urged the Security Council to free some of Iraq's oil revenues so buy cereals locally."Iraq is expected to have a bumper wheat harvest, on the scale of last year," he said.
"Despite our effort last year, we failed to secure the agreement of all parties concerned regarding the necessary arrangements to purchase wheat locally," he said in a remarks made available to reporters.
I'm guessing...Iraqi money was not paid to Iraqi wheat farmers but to the "farmers" of a large wheat-exporting country - France.
Those bureaucrats and their program are but one card — and not even a very high card. They will stay or go away almost by accident. Any player could choose to discard them on a whim, if they think a higher card might come their way. |
That large wheat exporting country is soon to be toast. They have no defense for their present position, which is exactly opposite what it was 2 years ago.
CNN allowed a commentator to say at one point that the French and Russians are acting so because of contracts in the pipeline.
It's a complex and new issue - for Americans. We've hit on it here for about two weeks...seems to be getting some traction now, beginning with Bush's speech desiring the end of sanctions. The reality is most stories are cued from above. We need the Bush Admin, and Iraqi voices, demanding accounting, full opening of past and present books, releasing the money
Chalabi is mouthing off about many things. He should do this. Or Talabani, head of one of the Kurd parties. He seems "karzai-ish" - respectable. This needs to be kept in the news, and the Iraqis kept as the victims - as they are. Plus it's damn interesting.
The need to learn to start riding bikes. Their economy is headed for an ever growing fall. Aw shucks.
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Waste of time. Bunch of UN bureaucrats trying to sound important while the future of world alliances for the next twenty years is decided in a poker game.