Iraq sanctions plan submitted

Saddam: Rejects the new sanctions plan

UNITED NATIONS -- Britain has formally presented new embargo proposals to the U.N. Security Council for dealing with Iraq.

The measures, backed by the United States, seek to allow more civilian goods into Iraq, while tightening control of military supplies into the Arab nation.

But China and Russia, Iraq's two main Security Council supporters, are in no hurry to approve the plans for 'smart' sanctions, which the UK and U.S. hope will replace the current oil-for-food programme.

Chinese Deputy Ambassador Shen Guaofang he thought it unlikely the council would reach a consensus on the proposal by June 4, when the current six-month phase of the council's Iraq oil-for-food programme is to expire.

Shen said: "We have sent the draft resolution to the capital for study because it is quite complicated. We need more time to study the draft resolution."

Iraq has repeatedly demanded that all sanctions be lifted immediately and President Saddam Hussein has flatly rejected the British proposals, calling them the "kick of a dying mule" and "more stupid" than the original ones.

"We will reject the so-called 'smart sanctions' that are more stupid than what preceded them," Saddam said on Monday.

Saddam said the proposed sanctions were a final attempt by Washington to dissuade countries from trading with Iraq.

"But these (countries) realise it is in their interests to deal with Iraq in line with the interests of their people and not with the goals of the U.S. administration," Saddam said.

He called the 'smart' sanctions proposal a "true recognition that the embargo has failed and it has cost America its reputation in its international relations."

Oil-for-food threat

Iraq has threatened to pull out of the oil-for-food programme if the resolution is adopted.

"I hope it doesn't come to that," U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan told reporters on Tuesday.

"But if Iraq were to stop the programme, or refuse to participate in the programme, the (U.N.) secretariat would have no means of providing assistance to the Iraqi people," he said.

"Obviously some of the efforts are being made to improve the conditions of the Iraqi people and make sure that the sanctions do not harm them. But if Iraq were to turn off the taps, then we'll be in a very serious situation," Annan said.

China and Russia have indicated they may push for a "technical" rollover of the oil-for-food programme -- a straight extension -- and keep the discussion of the new resolution on a separate timetable.

"It's a complicated matter," said another diplomat, who added there was no way to predict when the measure would come to a vote.

The draft sanctions plan would lift all controls on civilian goods except those on a list of specific weapons-related materials.

Under the oil-for-food programme, all revenue from sales of Iraqi oil is put into a fund, which is then used to buy humanitarian aid and food for the Iraqi people.

The U.S. has said that for a full lifting of sanctions to be considered Iraq must allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into the country -- a condition Baghdad has rejected.

U.N. arms inspectors have not been allowed into Iraq since they pulled out in December 1998 ahead of bombing raids by the U.S. and Britain. Those countries said Iraq was not complying with the inspection programme.

French diplomats called the British resolutions a step in the right direction, but also stressed that the text needed careful study.