UN Extends Iraq 'Oil-for-food' Deal for Nine Days

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, November 27, 2002

UN Extends Iraq 'Oil-for-food' Deal for Nine Days

The United Nations Security Council approved late Monday a nine-day technical roll-over of the "oil-for-food" program for Iraq.

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The United Nations Security Council approved late Monday a nine-day technical roll-over of the "oil-for-food" program for Iraq.

Instead of the routine extension for six months, the brief extension of the humanitarian program is aimed to give the 15-member Security Council more time for further consultations on a new phase as the current one is due to expire on midnight Monday.

Giving explanations for the short extension, US Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte told reporters after the vote that during the past days, his delegation had raised concerns over the so-called "goods review list."

Negroponte said his government was worried that some items on the list did not necessarily apply for "civilian or humanitarian purposes," and might improve the Iraqi government's ability for chemical warfare.

"We urged a prompt review of the list to ensure it is not utilized by the Iraqi government to import items for military purpose under civilian guise," he said.

"The United States has long supported the humanitarian program for Iraq under the oil-for-food scheme," the ambassador said.

An earlier version of a draft resolution to renew the program for another six months, which was printed "in blue" last Friday, was drawn back from the document rack, a UN spokesperson said.

Although a draft in blue means it is ready for vote, last-minute changes are not unusual.

Apart from the routine extension, the draft added a provision requiring a review or adjustment within 90 days of the so-called "goods review list," a diplomat familiar with the text told Xinhua.

It also asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to assess and make recommendations on the 300-page list which was approved last May.

The "oil-for-Food" program, funded by revenue from Iraqi oil exports, allows Iraq to import food, medicine and other necessities for its people who have been under UN sanctions since the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

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