Iraq Denounces UN for Amendments to Oil-for-Food Program

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, March 22, 2003

Iraq Denounces UN for Amendments to Oil-for-Food Program

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Iraqi Ambassador to the United Nations Mohammed Aldouri on Friday denounced UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan for withdrawing observers from the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border and proposing amendments to the oil-for-food program.

The withdrawal of all international staff working in Iraq "in astark violation of the responsibilities of the United Nations," Aldouri said in a statement read out to the reporters.

He said the departure of the UN peacekeepers deployed along theIraqi-Kuwaiti border allowed the US-British troops to use the demilitarized zone as "a passage way" to invade his country.

Aldouri accused Annan of violating the UN charter and the sovereignty of Iraq by presenting the Security Council on Wednesday with a draft resolution seeking amendments to the current oil-for-food program.

He said the draft resolution proposed by Annan is "in fact" an American-British draft resolution aiming to cancel UN resolution 986 adopted in 1991 to set up the oil-for-food program.

Aldouri also criticized Annan for failing to condemn the US-ledinvasion of his country, which he described as a "colonial, barbaric attack" in violation of international law and the UN charter.

On Thursday morning, the Security Council issued a presidentialstatement welcoming Annan's proposals to adjust the oil-for-food program in view of the ongoing hostilities in Iraq.

In a letter to the council Wednesday, Annan asked for authorityto use funds obtained from the oil-for-food program for the purpose of humanitarian assistance and to reach arrangements on humanitarian aid with the post-war authority in Iraq.

Annan also proposed main provisions for a draft resolution to be passed by the council for this effect.

Council President Mamady Traore of Guinea told reporters that UN experts would study these proposals and work on a draft resolution based on them during this weekend.

The oil-for-food program, which has been in place since Dec. 1996, has been a life line for the Iraqi people under stringent comprehensive sanctions imposed by the United Nations after Iraq'sinvasion of Kuwait in 1990.

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