RFE/RL IRAQ REPORT
Vol. 3, No. 38, 17 November 2000
A Review of Developments in Iraq Prepared by the Regional
Specialists of RFE/RL's Newsline Team
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HEADLINES
* NO KUWAIT-IRAQ RECONCILIATION AT OIC MEETING
* ZHIRINOVSKY BACK IN BAGHDAD...
* ...AND SO IS IVANOV
* UKRAINE LOOKS TO IRAQ FOR OIL
* TURKEY SUGGESTS NEW SANCTIONS POLICY
* ITALY, IRAQ CLOSER TO DIALOGUE
* LEBANON TO BE INCLUDED IN IRAQ-SYRIA PIPELINE
* IRAN CALLS FOR LIFTING OF IRAQ SANCTIONS
* KOFI ANNAN MEETS WITH IRAQI OFFICIAL
* IZZAT IBRAHIM MEETS WITH EGYPTIAN PRIME MINISTER
* GRAVE OF CHEMICAL ATTACK VICTIMS FOUND
* MINE REMOVAL IN KURDISTAN PROCEEDING SLOWLY
* KDP DENIES HANDING OVER PKK MILITIA TO TURKEY
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NO KUWAIT-IRAQ RECONCILIATION AT OIC MEETING.
Iraq and Kuwait failed to reconcile their differences at
the Ninth Islamic Summit which began its work in Doha (Qatar)
on 12 November, despite efforts by a variety of diplomats to
promote such talks. Indeed, the representative of the Kuwaiti
emir, First Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shaykh
Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, asserted on 12 November that "there
has been no mediation whatsoever regarding the dispute
between Kuwait and Iraq," KUNA reported.
Amman's "Al-Ra'y" on the same day even carried the text
of a Qatari-prepared draft resolution on the Iraq-Kuwait
conflict. The initiative for the hoped-for reconciliation was
Qatari, but Qatari Foreign Minister Shaykh Hamad bin Jassam
bin Jabr Al-Thani announced a day earlier that the Iraq-
Kuwait issue would not be on the agenda. Indeed, Iraqi
Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id Al-Sahhaf said that the
Qatari initiative had been "born dead."
But the Qatari initiative does have some support.
London's "Al-Sharq Al-Awsat" on 13 November reported that it
had learned from Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammad
Fu'ad Zarif that Iran has joined current mediation efforts to
bring about a direct dialogue between Iraq and Kuwait.
Iraqi President Saddam Husseyn's message to the OIC
meeting, delivered by the vice chairman of the Revolutionary
Command Council, Izzat Ibrahim, on 12 November and carried by
INA, made no mention of the issue, dwelling instead on the
need to liberate Palestine and claiming that thus far there
were 4,229,671 male volunteers and 1,744,655 female
volunteers in Iraq ready for a jihad. (David Nissman)
ZHIRINOVSKY BACK IN BAGHDAD...
Vladimir Zhirinovsky, leader of the extreme nationalist
Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR), arrived in Baghdad
for yet another visit, on what was described as a
humanitarian flight, Reuters reported on 11 November citing
INA.
On his arrival, he was met by Deputy Premier Tariq Aziz.
Zhirinovsky is in Baghdad to take part in the fourth meeting
of a follow-up and coordination on the embargo in Iraq.
Also participating in this meeting is Yuri Shafranik,
head of the Russian Committee of International, Scientific,
Cultural, and Business Cooperation with Iraq. He is
accompanied by a large, multinational delegation including
representatives from Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine,
and Slovakia, according to a report from "ArabicNews" of 11
November. The two parties also reviewed relations between the
Arab Socialist Ba'th Party and the LDPR.
Moscow is clearly testing the limits of the sanctions
regime with its Baghdad flights and putting itself in a
position to benefit if and when the sanctions regime is
relaxed. One of the reasons for that is that Moscow is trying
to recoup billions of dollars in debt for Soviet weapon
deliveries to Iraq.
In addition to the Moscow flight to Iraq, the first
British flight to Iraq in 10 years also arrived this week,
carrying British politicians and a Roman Catholic priest. The
purpose of that flight, too, was to protest the UN sanctions
against the country. Organized in secrecy, the British flight
refueled in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. According to a commentary in
London's "Independent" of 13 November, Bulgarian Foreign
Minister Nikolai Milkov was a party to the subterfuge.
Meanwhile, however, Igor Desyatnichenko, deputy general-
director of Aeroflot, has announced that Aeroflot does not
intend to resume air communications with Iraq even if the UN
removed the sanctions against the country, according to a
release from "RosBusinessConsulting" of 15 November. He said
that the company has concluded that it would not be
profitable or safe to do so. (David Nissman)
...AND SO IS IVANOV.
Igor Ivanov, Russian foreign minister and President
Vladimir Putin's personal envoy to Saddam Husseyn, arrived in
Baghdad on 13 November carrying a letter from Putin dealing
with bilateral relations and the means of promoting them,
according to Baghdad Radio. In a statement made at the
airport on his arrival, he pointed out that his current visit
falls within the framework of the mutual political dialogue
which regularly takes place between Iraq and Russia.
On 14 November, Ivanov said that one of the main goals
of his Middle East tour is "to make further efforts to
normalize the situation in the region, which has seriously
deteriorated lately, reported "Interfax," and added that "the
most burning issue is that of ending bloodshed and clashes in
the Palestinian territories. Russia's goal is clear: to
ensure the implementation of the agreement on stopping
violence."
A KUNA dispatch from 12 November says that Ivanov will
also be visiting other Arab countries and that during his
subsequent visit to Saudi Arabia, he will confirm "the
importance of Iraq's abidance by the UN resolutions related
to its invasion of Kuwait." (David Nissman)
UKRAINE LOOKS TO IRAQ FOR OIL.
The leader of the Ukrainian Social Democratic Union,
Serhiy Peresunko, told "Vechirniy Kyiv" on 10 November that
Iraq desperately needs Ukrainian-made equipment for the oil
industry, power engineering, and agricultural machinery. He
also mentioned the presence of some 40,000 Ukrainian
specialists who worked in Iraq during the Soviet period. And
he argued that Ukraine could realistically count on Iraq as
an alternative source of inexpensive fuel, thereby reducing
its dependence on Russia.
In the interview with "Vechirniy Kyiv" he mentioned that
during the visit of an official Ukrainian delegation headed
by First Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, Ukraine will
receive a "couple of million barrels of oil within the quota
set by the UN Security Council." The newspaper added that
Peresunko actively supports the extension of relations
between Ukraine and Iraq. He noted that during the Soviet
period, 75 percent of the goods exported to Iraq from the
Soviet Union were made in Ukraine.
With regard to Iraqi oil versus Russian oil, Peresunko
explained that "no matter how great our friendship is with
Russia, their monopoly on fuel leads to their imposing rules
of the game on us." In addition, he pointed out, the route
from Iraqi oil fields to Samsun in Turkey is only 2,000
kilometers long, while that from Tyumen is 4,000 kilometers
in length, a difference that will reduce transport costs and
make oil cheaper. "If this plan is implemented," he said, "we
will not face an energy crisis, even if the Russian
government decides to turn off the faucet at one of their oil
distribution centers." (David Nissman)
TURKEY SUGGESTS NEW SANCTIONS POLICY.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem told the "Chicago
Tribune" on 12 November that the time has come for the U.S.
and its allies "to explore if there can be some adjustment of
the sanctions." He added that "the U.S. really should consult
with others to see what is wrong with the policy and to see
if together we can develop a new one." The article noted that
another factor contributing to the erosion of international
support was the collapse of the Mideast peace process. Also
cited in the article was Feridun Sinirlioglu, director of the
Middle East desk at the Turkish Foreign Ministry, who
explained that "Saddam Husseyn is seen as a figure who
resisted the West. With the hostility all across the Arab
world toward Israel and the United States, the political
climate is very conducive to being exploited by Saddam."
Sinirlioglu also noted that Turkey had stood with the U.S. in
enforcing the sanctions even though it proved to be very
costly to the Turkish economy. (David Nissman)
ITALY, IRAQ CLOSER TO DIALOGUE.
Lombardy Regional President Roberto Formigoni landed in
Iraq for the sixth time in 10 years earlier this month,
according to Milan's "Il Sole-24 Ore." Iraqi Deputy Premier
Tariq Aziz reportedly made him a promise that "once the
sanctions are lifted, we will not forget who has befriended
us in recent years. The French and Italians were two of our
main industrial partners prior to 1990." The Iraqis gave
Italy first prize for the best exhibition at the Baghdad
International Trade Fair this year as well as a number of
contracts for small and medium-sized businesses. Lombardy and
the Foreign Trade Institute are being encouraged to come to
Iraq before their competitors move in. And a cross-party
majority in the Italian Parliament passed a motion last June
calling for an end to the embargo and the reopening of the
Italian embassy. (David Nissman)
LEBANON TO BE INCLUDED IN IRAQ-SYRIA PIPELINE.
Iraq will soon be pumping oil to the Syrian terminal of
Banias, according to London's "Daily Star" on 13 November.
But, more intriguingly, Lebanon will also be part of the
deal. That may reflect recent diplomatic moves between the
two countries.
The Lebanese premier conferred in Doha on 12 November
with Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of Baghdad's Revolutionary
Command Council, the highest level of contact between the two
countries since Lebanon broke its relations with Iraq in 1994
following the murder of an Iraqi dissident in Lebanon. When
asked about the meeting, a Lebanese source said "the issue of
the Syrian-Lebanese leg of the Iraqi pipeline was discussed."
Iraq used to pump oil to a Lebanese oil refinery in
Tripoli, which had a capacity of some 500,000 barrels a day.
The refinery is now in very bad shape and it is unclear how
long repairs and necessary renovation will take. The pipeline
to Syria, which has to be repaired and cleaned of rust, will
initially carry some 200,000 barrels of Basra crude which
Syria will buy at cut rate prices. The oil will be refined at
Banias and reshipped to consumer countries by tanker and sold
at world market prices. (David Nissman)
IRAN CALLS FOR LIFTING OF IRAQ SANCTIONS.
At the Organization of the Islamic Conference in Doha,
Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi called for the
lifting of UN sanctions against Iraq, saying that the
sanctions have cost much suffering to the Iraqi people,
reported the MiddleEastWire.com on 13 November. While Iran
and Iraq maintain embassies in each other's capitals, they do
not have diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level,
only at the charge d'affaires level. Kharrazi said that
upgrading these relations to the ambassadorial level will
depend on resolving issues between the two countries
remaining from the Iran-Iraq war. The issues include the
exchange of POWs and the bodies of dead soldiers and the
establishment of good neighborly relations. (David Nissman)
KOFI ANNAN MEETS WITH IRAQI OFFICIAL.
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan met with the Iraqi vice
chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council, Izzat Ibrahim,
to discuss the UN sanctions regime and "to find ways and
means to break the current deadlock," Reuters reported on 13
November. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the
Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in Doha, Qatar.
Annan described the talks as "frank and useful." For his
part, Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id Al-Sahhaf noted
that "we have agreed to open a comprehensive dialogue between
the United Nations and Baghdad without preconditions." He
added that "they are preparing their ideas and Iraq will
prepare its own ideas and brief the secretary-general on a
meeting that will be held either in Baghdad or in New York."
An Iraqi official said that Annan had requested the
meeting, which focused on Baghdad's rejection of UN Security
Council Resolution 1284. Resolution 1284 offers an easing of
the sanctions in return for permitting UN weapons inspectors
into the country. Annan said in his speech to the OIC on 12
November that "the Iraqi leadership will achieve more with
cooperation with the international community, including its
neighbors, than through confrontation."
Meanwhile, Sa'id Hasan, Iraq's UN ambassador since
January 1999, will be replaced by Muhammad Al-Douri, a career
diplomat who has been Baghdad's representative at the Geneva
headquarters of the United Nations for two years, according
to a Reuters report of 13 November. Al-Douri is scheduled to
arrive in New York at the end of this year. (David Nissman)
IBRAHIM RECEIVES EGYPTIAN PRIME MINISTER.
Izzat Ibrahim, vice chairman of the Revolutionary
Command Council and head of the Iraqi delegation to the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, received Egyptian
Prime Minister Arif Ubayd to discuss increasing cooperation
among Islamic countries. On the Iraqi side, the meeting was
attended by Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Sa'id Al-Sahhaf,
and Ahmad Abd-Al-Mu'min, minister of awqaf and religious
affairs. For the Egyptians, Egyptian Foreign Minister Amr
Musa and a number of members of the Egyptian delegation were
on hand. (David Nissman)
GRAVE OF CHEMICAL ATTACK VICTIMS FOUND.
Another mass grave of chemical attack victims has been
found in the village of Gop Tapa in Kirkuk Governorate (now
part of the PUK-governed Kurdistan Regional Government),
according to a report on "KurdSat" of 11 November broadcast
from Al-Sulaymaniyah. That village was occupied during the
Anfal campaign in 1988. The eight bodies, one family of six
and two PUK peshmergahs, were identified. Gop Tapa is one of
the villages bombarded with chemical weapons during Baghdad's
campaign against the Kurds. According to the report, the
village was hit with chemical weapons on the night of 3 May
1988, when six Iraqi aircraft bombarded the village. The
bodies were reburied in a state ceremony. (David Nissman)
MINE REMOVAL IN KURDISTAN PROCEEDING SLOWLY.
Mine clearance in Kurdistan is proceeding too slowly,
Kurdistan Satellite TV said on 11 November. It noted that the
clearance of a 240-square kilometer field in the Fish Khabur
area of Zakho took nine months. In that area alone there were
some 5,000 mines. If the clearance process proceeds at
current rates, "it will take decades," the station said. At
present, the station added, much of Iraqi Kurdistan is
planted with mines, the most being in the Al-Sulaymaniyah
Governorate, followed by Irbil, and then Dohuk. The mines
were laid during the Iran-Iraq war. Walid Ahmad, mine removal
field coordinator at UNOPS, said the slow pace of their work
is due to a lack in modern mine removal equipment and the
mountainous location of the fields. (David Nissman)
KDP DENIES HANDING OVER PKK MILITIA TO TURKEY.
On 8 November, Irbil's "Brayati" carried a statement by
a Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Political Bureau spokesman
denying the 2 November allegations by "Medya-TV," which often
serves as a PKK outlet, that the KDP had handed over PKK
militiamen to Turkey. The PKK militia were named in the
broadcast. The "MEDYA-TV" item was then picked up by the PUK
(Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) newspaper "Kurdistani Nuwe" on
5 November. The KDP spokesman said that the KDP did not hand
over any PKK militia. They returned to Turkey at their own
request. He also gave the names of the men, and added that
"the International Red Cross is aware of their return. They
have signed papers and videotapes of them expressing their
will to return to Turkey." (David Nissman)
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