UN Chronicle | Iraq: 'Seize This Opportunity'

Iraq: 'Seize This Opportunity'
By Russell Taylor for the Chronicle

Web Article

Security Council votes on the resolution. UN Photo

In a letter of 13 November, Iraq indicated its willingness to accept the return of weapons inspectors - a move which was immediately welcomed by the President of the 15-member body. Iraqi Ambassador Mohammad Al-Douri said Iraq was "prepared to receive the inspectors within the assigned timetable." He told reporters in New York, "We are eager to see them perform their duties in accordance with international law as soon as possible."

Council President Zhang Yishan of China said he had been contacted by Mr. Al-Douri with the news of the letter of acceptance from Iraq's Foreign Minister, Naji Sabri, adding that Council members welcomed the "correct" decision by the Government and that they would like to see that resolution 1441 be implemented "fully and very effectively."

The Security Council on 8 November unanimously approved this tough new resolution aimed at returning United Nations weapons inspectors to Iraq. Following eight weeks of intensive negotiations, the resolution allowed the 15-member Council to speak with a united voice and send a clear signal to Iraq that it has a "final opportunity" to disarm. The resolution also warned of "serious consequences" if Iraq failed to comply.

Immediately after the 15 to nothing vote, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said, "How this crisis is resolved will affect greatly the course of peace and security in the region and the world." He urged Iraq to "seize this opportunity" and meet the Council's demands. He appealed to all governments with influence to remain engaged. The two original sponsors of the resolution, the United States and the United Kingdom, welcomed its adoption. U.S. President George Bush said "Now comes the hard part: The Security Council must maintain its unity and sense of purpose so that the Iraqi regime cannot revert to the strategies of obstruction and deception it used so successfully in the past." Prime Minister Tony Blair of Britain warned Iraq that if it defied the United Nations, "We will disarm you by force."

Council President Zhang Yishan said the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as its legitimate concerns, should be respected. Calling the resolution a "positive and constructive compromise text", Ambassador Martin Belinga-Eboutou of Cameroon said it did not "constitute victory for any particular fight but rather for international peace and security."

Resolution 1441 describes Iraq as remaining in "material breach" of a decade of previous resolutions, in particular, through its failure to cooperate with the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It hands the weapons inspections teams a strongly enhanced mandate to reenter Iraq -- after a nearly four-year absence -- and gain "immediate, unimpeded, unconditional, and unrestricted access to any and all, including underground, areas, facilities, buildings, equipment, records, and means of transport which they wish to inspect, as well as immediate, unimpeded, unrestricted, and private access to all officials and other persons" whom UNMOVIC or the IAEA wish to interview. Previously, inspectors had to provide notice before inspections and to work under diplomatic escort. The inspectors now will be required to go back to the Council to report on any failure by Iraq to fulfill its obligations.

The Council also deplored the fact that Iraq had not provided an accurate and complete disclosure either of all aspects of its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with a range greater than one hundred and fifty kilometres, or of all its holdings of such weapons. It further deplored that Iraq had repeatedly obstructed unrestricted access to designated sites. Additionally, the Council said that Iraq had failed to comply with its commitments pursuant to resolution 687 (1991) with regard to terrorism, pursuant to resolution 688 (1991) to end repression of its civilian population and to provide access by international humanitarian organizations to all those in need of assistance in Iraq.

An advance team of UNMMOVIC and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, headed by UNMOVIC Executive Chairman Hans Blix and IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei, is expected to be on the ground this Monday, 18 November.

UNMOVIC, which is financed from a small portion of the monies raised from the export of oil from Iraq (the "oil-for-food" programme), is responsible for the chemical, biological and missile programmes. The IAEA Iraq Action Team conducts its work with the assistance and cooperation of UNMOVIC, and is responsible for uncovering and dismantling any possible nuclear programme.

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