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Subject: Iraq's Aziz Challenges Security Council Stand; Embargo May Cause 'Genocide,'
Date: Tue, 24 Nov 92 04:42:49 EST
Message-ID: <41.1992Nov24.044249@AmeriCast.com>
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Iraq's Aziz Challenges Security Council Stand; Embargo May Cause
'Genocide,' He Says<By Trevor Rowe<Special to The Washington
Post=

UNITED NATIONS, Nov.  23 - Iraqi Prime Minister Tariq Aziz today
challenged the Security Council's declaration that Baghdad has
failed to fully comply with resolutions ending the Persian Gulf
War and he said the world body should be held reponsible for
"genocide" if the economic embargo is continued against his coun-
try.

The sharp tone of his speech caught many diplomats and observers
by surprise. Most had expected Iraq to reiterate an appeal made
last March that it be rewarded for those measures it had already
taken to meet Council demands and that sanctions be proportional-
ly eased.

In anticipation, Hungarian Ambassador Andre Erdos, president of
the Security Council for this month, read a unanimous statement
in which he declared that "Iraq has up to now only selectively
and then partially complied" with U.N. demands. He said full com-
pliance is "imperative."

The 15 members of the Council took turns outlining Iraq's failure
to meet its obligations under the resolutions.

They cited Iraq's failure to make full and complete disclosure of
its weapons programs. Among other things, diplomats called for
Iraq to provide a list of companies that participated in its vast
procurement program for building weapons of mass destruction.

They also noted Iraq has refused to fully implement resolutions
dealing with long-term monitoring of its weapons capabilities.
They expressed concern it might attempt to rebuild its chemical,
biological, nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Diplomats also expressed concern that Iraq had not agreed to
recognize Kuwait's sovereignty and the border defined between the
two countries by the United Nations. U.S. Ambassador Edward J.
Perkins said Washington "sees no reason to lift sanctions"
against Iraq.

"As we said to this Council in March, an unfortunate pattern has
developed," Perkins said. "Iraq makes declarations of minimal
content, declarations which are clearly meant to misinform, mis-
direct and conceal. Iraq divulges information about weapons pro-
grams only after confronted with incontrovertible proof. . . .
This record is not compliance."

But Aziz claimed Iraq "has implemented the obligations imposed
upon it" and had cooperated in a "positive" manner with the Secu-
rity Council. Rather than requesting a lifting of sanctions, he
demanded it.

"To insist upon the embargo being imposed upon Iraq is to insist,
in actual terms, upon committing a crime of genocide against the
people of Iraq," he said. He accused the Council of adopting a
"despotic posture" and called for a "drastic review" of the "un-
necessary contents" of the Council's resolutions.

Aziz renewed his country's criticism that the Council was using a
double standard. He noted that the cease-fire resolution ending
the Persian Gulf War established the goal of a Middle East zone
free from weapons of mass destruction.

He said that while Iraq had been singled out, Israel continued to
possess a "large arsenal" of nuclear and chemical weapons. He
also said weakening Iraq was harming security and stability in
the region.

Aziz timed his visit to coincide with the review of sanctions
that is undertaken every 60 days by the Council. Over the week-
end, Al Thawra, the Baath Party newspaper, said Aziz's mission
was motivated by the approach of a new administration in Washing-
ton.  "The vigorous diplomatic move initiated by Iraq following
the dramatic collapse of Bush put the ball in the international
court," the paper declared.  Some diplomats noted that while
Aziz's tone was unlikely to please the new administration of
President-elect Clinton, the Iraqis could be preparing the ground
for some kind of future shift.02:32 11-24C9999-----

Copyright 1992, The Washington Post.  This story is from the
Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar-
chived or redistributed.

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