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Iraq Says It was Compelled to Halt Oil Exports
Iraq will stick to its decision of halting its oil exports and will not resume the activity unless the United Nations Security Council accepts Iraqi demand of extending the oil-for-food deal for six more months, Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Muhammad Rashid said on Sunday.
At a new conference, Rashid also said that the decision will take effect starting from 8 a.m (0400 GMT) on Monday, stressing that it was an inevitable outcome of the non-renewal of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the agreed terms, which he regarded as a contravention to U.N. Security Council Resolution 986.
Rashid expressed hope that the security council will reconsider its decision of extending the validity of MOU by one month, instead of six months, as he saw no excuse to do so.
But he stressed that Iraq will continue pumping its oil to the neighboring countries that are not included in the MOU, adding that Iraq refused to accept the one-month extension because it is based on issues that have nothing to do with the MOU, referring to a U.S. -British proposal of "smart sanctions."
The so-called "smart sanctions" were designed to ease curbs on civilian goods but tighten controls on military equipment and technology to Iraq.
On the humanitarian supplies to Iraq, the minister said that it will continue because Iraq has already signed scores of contracts with international enterprises, in addition to huge funds in frozen accounts within the oil-for-food program with the U.N..
He expressed hope that the MOU could be extended for another six months in the coming period.
"Iraq does not want to call off its oil exports because it is one of the major oil producers," he stressed, accusing the U.S. administration of exerting pressure on the U.N. Security Council to adopt the U.S.-British "smart sanctions" draft, which Iraq absolutely denied.
On Saturday, Iraq announced that it would stop oil exports in response to the Security Council's resolution of extending the U.N. oil-for-food deal by only one month.
The humanitarian deal, which allows Iraq to export oil in return for U.N.-monitored imports of food, medicine and other basic goods to offset the impacts of the U.N. sanctions on Iraq, was launched in December 1996 and now is in its ninth phase. The current six- month phase is due to expire on June 3.
Under the oil-for-food deal, Iraq exports 2.25 million barrels per day via the Turkish Mediterranean port of Cyhan and the local Gulf port of Bakre.
Iraq has been under international sanctions since its invasion of neighboring Kuwait in 1991.
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