Iraq Not to Accept UN Resolution on New Arms Regime

Iraq's Ambassador to the United Nations, Saeed Hasan, said on Wednesday that his country would not accept the resolution of the UN Security Council which created the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission(UNMOVIC).

Responding to the announcement by President of the Security Council, Richard Holbrooke, that the Council members had reached consensus on Hans Blix, former Swedish head of the International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) to lead UNMOVIC, Hasan said it made no difference who was named to the post because Iraq did not accept a December 17 resolution creating UNMOVIC.

"We are not dealing with this resolution and each and every part of it," Hasan said.

"As has been stated by Mr.Treq Aziz and other Iraqi officials, the new chairman will not change much in the scheme which has been prepared by the United States in resolution 1284," the Ambassador said.

"This resolution is not implementable, is not working and it will not work," he said.

Hasan said the United States was "violating Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity daily, violating the Charter of the United Nations daily, bombing Iraq through the no-fly zones," he continued.

The Ambassador said the Council resolution did not take into consideration the previous espionage activities of the United Nations Special Commission(USOM).

Neither the Security Council nor the Secretary-General bothered to investigate these cases and see whether this took place or not, he added.

The Council adopted resolution 1284 last month which created the UNMOVIC to replace now defunct USOM in charge of dismantling Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

The resolution requested the UN chief appoint a chairman for UNMOVIC within 30 days of the adoption of the resolution, subject to approval of the Council. Kofi Annan last week notified the Council of nomination of Rolf Ekeus, another Swede, for the post, which met objection from Russia, France and China.

There has not been arms inspection for Iraq since December 1998when the United states and Britain launched military strikes against the country. USOM withdrew from Iraq days before the military strikes. Iraq has barred it from returning. (Xinhua)


Please visit People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/