Iraq Reiterates Rejection to British-Dutch Proposal

The Iraqi cabinet reiterated its firm rejection to the British-Dutch proposal on Iraq currently under discussion at the UN Security Council on November 21.

The 55th session of the cabinet chaired by President Saddam Hussein reviewed "what is going on in the Security Council such as the debates and manoeuvres aiming at issuing a new resolution based on the dubious British proposal," the Iraqi News Agency reported.

The British-Dutch proposal recommends a conditional suspension @495:.@4" @:4'9%(4"74,@,9:4,4)4"9.) 2@,/9 of the sanctions after Iraq agrees to allow UN weapons inspectors to return to the country and put its oil revenues under the UN control.

"This proposal does not aim at lifting the embargo, but in reality, it is a colonial proposal aiming at imposing new terms on Iraq for a number of coming years," said the cabinet.

The cabinet called upon the member states of the Security Council, particularly the friendly ones, to reject this proposal and to stand firm with what it called "fair and just situation on the Iraqi just issue."

Baghdad on Saturday announced that it would never deal with the UN Security Council resolution 1275 for extending the sixth phase of the oil-for-food program for another two weeks until December 4, calling the resolution "absolutely meaningless."

Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahaf said in a statement that "the only meaning of this resolution... is to blackmail other Security Council members and build pressure on them so as to accept the ill-famed British draft resolution."


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