U.N. to vote on Iraq sanctions

UNITED NATIONS -- The United Nations is expected to vote soon on a U.S.-Russian compromise that pledges to revise sanctions against Iraq within six months.

The Security Council is also expected to extend the existing U.N. oil-for-food programme, which expires on Friday, until then.

Under the deal, Russia would approve by June 1 a new list of imported goods that would need approval to make sure no items for military use were included -- a key element of earlier U.S.-British proposals to revise the sanctions.

In return, the United States would look again at gaps in a December 1999 resolution that outlines steps towards suspending the 10-year-old sanctions -- providing Iraq allows U.N. weapons inspectors to resume their work.

"We need to clarify how to implement it," Russia's U.N. ambassador, Sergei Lavrov told Reuters.

Unanimous approval of the resolution is in jeopardy because Tunisia is demanding the Security Council include a provision authorising the return to Iraq of civilian aircraft stranded in Tunisia and Jordan since the 1991 Gulf War.

But as a non-permanent member of the council, Tunisia cannot veto the proposal.

The United States and Britain have tried three times since June to revise the U.N. oil-for-food programme, which contains sanctions regulations, with the aim of streamlining imports of civilian goods to Iraq, but tightening restrictions on items that can be used for military purposes -- so-called 'smart' sanctions.

One purpose is to counteract worldwide criticism that the sanctions have caused civilian suffering -- a notion the United States strongly disputes.

Under the oil-for-food programme, Iraq can sell oil and use the proceeds to buy food, medicine and a host of other supplies.

But oil revenues must be deposited in a U.N. account out of which suppliers are paid.

Iraq shut off oil supplies for a month last June until it was sure Russia would reject an overhaul of the sanctions, which it believes only make them more permanent.

Baghdad's U.N. ambassador, Mohammed Aldouri, told Reuters he had no instructions yet on his government's reaction to the resolution and expected a decision once it was adopted.

"I strongly urge them to accept," Lavrov said. "The resolution extends the human programme for six months. They need the humanitarian programme."

Despite threats from Washington, Iraq has repeatedly refused to allow U.N. weapons inspectors back into the country, insisting sanctions be suspended first.