 |
Iraq Stops Oil Exports in Protest Against UN Resolution
Iraq has halted its oil export as it warned in the past two days to protest against a United Nations Security Council's resolution to extend the oil-for-food program for only 30 days, instead of a regular six-month term, sources close to the Iraqi Oil Ministry said on Monday.
The oil exports via the Turkish Mediterranean port of Cyhan and the local Gulf port of Bakre stopped at 08:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) Monday, said the sources.
The move came in response to a decision taken by the U.N. Security Council on Friday on the extension of the oil-for-food program for only one month, instead of six months.
The Security Council's decision was aimed to allow more time for the 15-member body to discuss an American-British plan on "smart sanctions" against Iraq.
The "smart sanctions," designed by the United States and Britain under the mounting international pressure to lift sanctions against Iraq, is aimed to ease curbs on imports of civilian goods but tighten controls on military equipment and technology to Iraq.
Iraq announced on Saturday 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.
Iraqi Oil Minister Amir Muhammad Rashid warned at a news conference on Sunday that Iraq will stick to its decision of halting its oil exports until the United Nations Security Council accepts Iraq's demand of extending the oil-for-food deal for six more months.
"Iraq does not want to call off its oil exports because it is one of the major oil producers," he noted, accusing the U.S. administration of exerting pressure on the Security Council to adopt the "smart sanctions" draft, which Iraq absolutely rejected.
The oil-for-food program launched in December 1996 allows Iraq to sell oil in return for U.N.-monitored imports of food, medicine and other basic necessities to offset the impacts of the sanctions imposed on Iraq following its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The current six-month phase of the Humanitarian deal expired 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 Gulf port of Bakre.
Iraq has been under international sanctions since its invasion of neighboring Kuwait in 1991.
In This Section
|