Thursday, May 24, 2007
U.N. Security Council approves $3 mn. transfer for Iraq
U.N.
(AP) - The U.N. Security Council approved the transfer of more than $3 million in oil-for-food revenue to meet Iraq's U.N. arrears and dues. The Iraqi government requested the transfer - approved Wednesday - of funds from the escrow account for the U.N. Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, known as UNMOVIC, which was responsible for chemical, biological and missile inspections in Iraq.
Under the U.N. oil-for-food program, Iraq was allowed to sell oil provided the proceeds went primarily to buy humanitarian goods and pay reparations from the 1991 Gulf War that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. But a small percentage of the money was also used to pay for weapons inspections by UNMOVIC and to buy spare parts for the oil industry.
While the program helped Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions, an independent investigation concluded it was corrupted by bureaucrats, oil tycoons and Saddam Hussein after the former Iraqi leader was allowed to choose the buyers of Iraqi oil and the sellers of humanitarian goods.
Saddam's successors have been lobbying to have the Security Council stop using the country's oil revenue to pay compensation to war victims and the salaries of U.N. weapons inspectors - and to have all money remaining in the U.N.'s oil-for-food accounts transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq. A May 7 letter from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the council indicated that the current balance in UNMOVIC's escrow account stands at about $66.4 million.
At a formal meeting Wednesday, the council approved the transfer of $2.5 million to the U.N. Industrial Development Organization to pay off the Iraqi government's arrears and another $694,771 to pay Iraq's contribution to the regular U.N. budget, the peacekeeping budget, U.N. tribunals and U.N. renovations. Once those transfers are made, the oil-for-food account will have a balance of about $63.1 million.
Council diplomats said the five permanent council members - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China - are close to agreement on a plan to transfer most of the money in the escrow account to Iraq, but they have not yet agreed on how to wrap up UNMOVIC's operation. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks have been private. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said Wednesday he expected an agreement on UNMOVIC very soon, but refused to give any details.
Under the U.N. oil-for-food program, Iraq was allowed to sell oil provided the proceeds went primarily to buy humanitarian goods and pay reparations from the 1991 Gulf War that followed Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. But a small percentage of the money was also used to pay for weapons inspections by UNMOVIC and to buy spare parts for the oil industry.
While the program helped Iraqis cope with U.N. sanctions, an independent investigation concluded it was corrupted by bureaucrats, oil tycoons and Saddam Hussein after the former Iraqi leader was allowed to choose the buyers of Iraqi oil and the sellers of humanitarian goods.
Saddam's successors have been lobbying to have the Security Council stop using the country's oil revenue to pay compensation to war victims and the salaries of U.N. weapons inspectors - and to have all money remaining in the U.N.'s oil-for-food accounts transferred to the Development Fund for Iraq. A May 7 letter from Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the council indicated that the current balance in UNMOVIC's escrow account stands at about $66.4 million.
At a formal meeting Wednesday, the council approved the transfer of $2.5 million to the U.N. Industrial Development Organization to pay off the Iraqi government's arrears and another $694,771 to pay Iraq's contribution to the regular U.N. budget, the peacekeeping budget, U.N. tribunals and U.N. renovations. Once those transfers are made, the oil-for-food account will have a balance of about $63.1 million.
Council diplomats said the five permanent council members - the U.S., Britain, France, Russia and China - are close to agreement on a plan to transfer most of the money in the escrow account to Iraq, but they have not yet agreed on how to wrap up UNMOVIC's operation. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks have been private. Britain's U.N. Ambassador Emyr Jones Parry said Wednesday he expected an agreement on UNMOVIC very soon, but refused to give any details.
Labels: oil-for-food, U.N. Security Council, UNMOVIC
Saturday, March 31, 2007
U.S. rules out deal with Iran to release British sailors
Iran, U.K., Security
(The Telegraph) - The United States has ruled out a deal to exchange the 15 British sailors and Royal Marines captured by Iran for five Iranians held by US forces. State department spokesman Sean McCormack crushed hopes that the hostages could be swapped as the crisis over the captured Royal Navy personnel entered its ninth day.
The US seized five suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Iraqi city of Irbil in January, fuelling claims that Iran has been supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons. Mr McCormack said: “The international community is not going to stand for the Iranian government trying to use this issue to distract the rest of the world from the situation in which Iran finds itself vis-a-vis its nuclear programme.”
Fears that British sailors would suffer a lengthy incarceration grew as Iranian officials repeated that they could face trial for violating international law. Speaking on Russian television Gholam-Reza Ansari, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said that his country had launched a investigation into the sailors. He said: “It is possible that the British soldiers who entered into Iranian waters will go on trial for taking this illegal action. “The legal phase concerning these British soldiers has started and if charges against them are proven, they will be punished.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said despite the comments, the British position remains unchanged. He said: “It does not change our position. We made it clear that they were seized in Iraqi waters and we demand their release immediately, as well as consular access.” A third letter, purportedly written by Ldg Seaman Turney, the mother of a young daughter, was also published. It said she was being held because of “oppressive” British and US behaviour in Iraq. The letter, in poor English, called for Britain to withdraw from Iraq.
The US seized five suspected members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in the Iraqi city of Irbil in January, fuelling claims that Iran has been supplying Iraqi insurgents with weapons. Mr McCormack said: “The international community is not going to stand for the Iranian government trying to use this issue to distract the rest of the world from the situation in which Iran finds itself vis-a-vis its nuclear programme.”
Fears that British sailors would suffer a lengthy incarceration grew as Iranian officials repeated that they could face trial for violating international law. Speaking on Russian television Gholam-Reza Ansari, Iran’s ambassador to Russia, said that his country had launched a investigation into the sailors. He said: “It is possible that the British soldiers who entered into Iranian waters will go on trial for taking this illegal action. “The legal phase concerning these British soldiers has started and if charges against them are proven, they will be punished.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said despite the comments, the British position remains unchanged. He said: “It does not change our position. We made it clear that they were seized in Iraqi waters and we demand their release immediately, as well as consular access.” A third letter, purportedly written by Ldg Seaman Turney, the mother of a young daughter, was also published. It said she was being held because of “oppressive” British and US behaviour in Iraq. The letter, in poor English, called for Britain to withdraw from Iraq.
Britain gained its first significant international backing over the crisis last night when the European Union called for the "immediate and unconditional" release of the 15 Royal Navy personnel. The "message of solidarity" from 26 other European foreign ministers warned Iran that unless the sailors and marines were released, the EU would take further action, including possible suspension of business ties with Teheran and trade sanctions.
The strongly-worded EU response came 24 hours after the United Nations Security Council in New York approved a watered-down statement expressing "grave concern" about the situation. The EU statement pointedly used the word the UN baulked at endorsing by saying the it "deplores" the Britons' continued detention. It backed Britain's insistence that the Royal Navy boarding party had not crossed into Iranian territorial waters and threatened "further measures" if they were not released.
The strongly-worded EU response came 24 hours after the United Nations Security Council in New York approved a watered-down statement expressing "grave concern" about the situation. The EU statement pointedly used the word the UN baulked at endorsing by saying the it "deplores" the Britons' continued detention. It backed Britain's insistence that the Royal Navy boarding party had not crossed into Iranian territorial waters and threatened "further measures" if they were not released.
The Gulf Cooperation Council, a loose political and economic alliance of Iran's U.S.-allied Gulf Arab neighbors - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, also urged an end to the confrontation. The crisis, at a time of heightened Middle East tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions, has helped push oil prices to six-month highs over concerns an escalation might curb crucial oil exports from the region.
Labels: Baghdad security conference, British navy, E.U., Gholam-Reza Ansari, Gulf Cooperation Council, Iran, oil prices, Sean McCormack, trial, U.K., U.N. Security Council, U.S.
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Female sailor's release may be delayed as U.K. accused of gunfire near Iranian consulate in Basrah
U.K., Iran, Security
(AP) - The Iranian consul in Basra charged Thursday that British soldiers had surrounded his office in the southern city and fired shots into the air. Britain denied the allegation. The allegation comes at a critical period in the crisis over Iran's seizure of 15 British sailors and marines. The Ministry of Defense in London said the shooting was an exchange of gunfire after British troops on a foot patrol near the Iranian consulate were ambushed.
But Iranian Consul-General Mohammed Ridha Nasir Baghban said British forces had engaged in a "provocative act" that "could worsen the situation of the British sailors." Iran may delay the release of the female British sailor if Britain takes the issue to the U.N. Security Council or freezes relations, the country's top negotiator Ali Larijani said Thursday.
Speaking on Iranian state radio, Larijani said: "British leaders have miscalculated this issue." If Britain follows through with its policies on the 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran last week, Larijani said "this case may face a legal path", a clear reference to Iran's prosecuting the sailors in court. Earlier Thursday, Britain asked the Security Council to support a call for the immediate release of detainees, saying in a statement they were operating in Iraqi waters under a mandate from the Security Council and at the request of Iraq. The issue was expected to be debated Thursday.
But Iranian Consul-General Mohammed Ridha Nasir Baghban said British forces had engaged in a "provocative act" that "could worsen the situation of the British sailors." Iran may delay the release of the female British sailor if Britain takes the issue to the U.N. Security Council or freezes relations, the country's top negotiator Ali Larijani said Thursday.
Speaking on Iranian state radio, Larijani said: "British leaders have miscalculated this issue." If Britain follows through with its policies on the 15 British sailors and marines detained by Iran last week, Larijani said "this case may face a legal path", a clear reference to Iran's prosecuting the sailors in court. Earlier Thursday, Britain asked the Security Council to support a call for the immediate release of detainees, saying in a statement they were operating in Iraqi waters under a mandate from the Security Council and at the request of Iraq. The issue was expected to be debated Thursday.
Labels: Ali Larijani, Basra, Iranian consulate, U.N. Security Council
