Iraqi Disarmament Is Crucial Issue, Annan Say

By Judy Aita
Washington File United Nations Correspondent

United Nations - After two days of talks between Iraq and the United
Nations, Secretary General Kofi Annan told the Security Council
February 28 that the key problems for Baghdad are the no-fly zones,
disarmament, and economic sanctions.

After privately briefing the council, the secretary general told
journalists that during the two days of talks the Iraqi officials
"stated their opposition on almost everything on the Iraq dossier from
disarmament to humanitarian to prisoners of war and property, to the
question of compensation" and gave him a paper stating that it had
fulfilled the Security Council's requirement to eliminate its weapons
of mass destruction.

But the "disarmament issue is a crucial one," he added. "Iraq
maintains that it has fulfilled or has indicated that it has fulfilled
all the disarmament obligations and requirements placed on it by the
council and, of course, the council members have said if that is the
case, let inspectors come in and check it out and certify it."

"One of the key issues we have to resolve is inspection or
verification of what has been done or has not been done," the
secretary general said.

For his part, the secretary general said that he told the Iraqis "they
need to comply with the resolutions and the expectations of the
Security Council."

Iraq' s position now "is that they will not allow the inspectors in,"
Annan said. "But they are also keen to see the sanctions lifted...so I
think they are a bit easier on the monitoring."

According to Security Council resolutions, sanctions can only be
lifted after the U.N. certifies that Iraq has eliminated its weapons
of mass destruction and allows ongoing monitoring and verification.

However, Iraq is also demanding that other parts of the resolution
referring to security arrangements in the region and a region free of
weapons of mass destruction be implemented as well, the secretary
general added.

"In effect, the council at this stage...is more interested in the
Iraq-specific issue.
Iraq, of course, would want to ensure that others in the region are
also constrained," he explained.

He and Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf, head of the
Iraqi delegation, have agreed to meet again "in either April or May,"
Annan said.

"At that point we will have a chance to go into more details and
tackle some of the specific outstanding questions," the secretary
general added.

Annan said that the impression he got after briefing the council was
that the Security Council "generally felt that it was a good sign that
the talks have begun, and they are encouraged that it will be
continuing."

Nevertheless, the secretary general said that he told the council
members that they need "to agree on certain critical questions and try
to restore the unity of the council."

Annan said that given "the intense nature" of the discussions not only
within the Security Council but in member capitals - spurred in some
ways by the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to the
Middle East and Brussels, the council may be able to clarify its
position by the next round of talks.

British Ambassador to the United Nations, Jeremy Greenstock said, "the
whole council...very much welcomes that there is a channel for
dialogue between the Government of Iraq and the United Nations," but
he added that "there was nothing new that enables us to move forward
in any way."

Greenstock also said that the "council agreed that the issue of
security in the northern Gulf and the threat, which Iraq has
represented and continues to represent to its neighbors with the
capacity to use weapons of mass destruction, are the primary
responsibility of the council."

Referring to what he called "some distinct political controversies"
among the five permanent members of the council (China, France, Great
Britain, Russia, and the United States) on the details of the
disarmament process and sanctions, the British ambassador said "nobody
is suggesting how security in that part of the world can be maintained
unless there is tight control through the Security Council and under
Security Council resolutions of the threat which is posed."

Council members also agree that Iraq's uncorroborated declaration that
the weapons are eliminated cannot be accepted, Greenstock said. "There
has to be verification, there has to be monitoring, and there has to
be inspections on the ground."

The ambassador said there is "spirit to find unity" among the five
permanent members. "We have the same objective, which is to control
the danger but bring a much better prospect to the Iraqi people
themselves."

"The spirit is there, but we need to get the substance right, defining
where we differ, and to find ways through. There we all regard the
visit of Secretary Colin Powell to the region as an excellent
beginning to that process," he said.

But Greenstock also warned that there would be "no big headlines from
one day to the next." Resolving the issues will be "quite a long
haul," he said.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International
Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site:
http://usinfo.state.gov)