Blueprint for Iraqi Reconstruction Just Appears

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, May 23, 2003

Blueprint for Iraqi Reconstruction Just Appears

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The Security Council of the United Nations on May 22 voted through a resolution on lifting sanctions against Iraq, thereby putting an end to the months-long antagonism among the member countries of the Security Council over the Iraq issue.

The 13-year-long economic sanctions have caused serious humanitarian disasters to the Iraqi people and economic losses of well over US$140 billion to Iraq. Serious malnutrition has deprived hundreds of thousands of young Iraqi people of their lives. After the Iraq War, the situation there is worsening. The UN Children's Fund warns that there are now 300,000 children in Iraq who are facing the threat of death due to the symptoms of undernourishment, this figure is more than two times over that before the launch of US-UK attacks on Iraq. Because oil exports are the main source of Iraq's foreign exchange, the removal of sanctions will help resume Iraq's oil export, the foreign exchange gained in return can be used to improve people's living standards.

The first draft of the draft resolution put forward by the United States and Britain was made public on May 9. Its core objective is that the US-UK coalition forces are to control Iraq, grasp Iraq's oil income, guarantee the use of the income for postwar reconstruction till the establishment of a new Iraqi government recognized by the international community. For most of the Security Council member countries, what they are most deeply concerned about is UN's role in Iraq's future reconstruction and the time limit for the control of Iraq by the provisional government organized by the US-UK coalition forces. Just as pointed out by many UN personages, the disputes over the proposal mirror the matter of legalization. Without legalization, the United States will gain no extensive support in Iraq's political and economic reconstruction, and many troubles will emerge. This is an important reason why the United States returns to the framework of the United Nations to solve the Iraq issue. British permanent representative to the UN, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, therefore, stressed that it is vitally important to regain the unanimity of the Security Council.

On May 20, the Security Council conducted discussions on the draft resolution for four hours. Finally, the United States and Britain agreed to add a clause to the final amendment, the Security Council is responsible to examine implementation of the resolution 12 months after its adoption and make decisions on the next measures. Seen from the new resolution, the position of the special representative of the UN Secretary-general has also been strengthened, he will participate in the organization of a new Iraqi government, instead of serving merely as an advisor. The resolution also makes it possible for UN nuclear inspectors to return to Iraq. Behind the disputes in the process of the revision of the draft, the interests of big powers are reflected. Since Russia and some other countries have a fairly big share in the contract on Iraq's imported materials worth US$10 billion already approved by the United Nations, therefore Russia hopes to prolong the time limit of the original "oil for foods" program. Adjustment was made by the resolution. US permanent representative to the United Nations John Negroponte claimed that since the Security Council member countries had different views on the draft, the United States had made a compromise. The finalized seven-page resolution had made over 90 revisions in the first draft.

Adoption of this resolution also reflects the emergence of the tendency of relaxation in the once strained relations among big powers over the Iraq issue. After the conclusion of the Iraq War, France, Germany and Russia have adjusted their stands sharply opposed to the United States before the start of the war, displaying the posture of compromise. France was the first to express its agreement on removing sanctions. During US Secretary of State Colin Powell's recent visits to Berlin, Germany also expressed its welcome to the content of the draft resolution put forward by the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov recently also indicated that the possibility for reaching unanimity would not be ruled out. At the same time, the Bush administration has also begun to work hard to regain the image of the United States. Not long ago, the Bush administration decided to provide US$15 billion for global prevention of the disease of AIDS in the next five years. On May 21, Bush again delivered a speech in which he said he would send more volunteers to help developing countries to shake off poverty and resist diseases. By the end of this month, Bush will pay visits to Poland, Russia, France and other countries, striving to strengthen US relations with Europe. US Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld recently expressed willingness to let UN inspectors return to Iraq.

Removal of the 13-year-long sanction against Iraq is the choice made by the UN Security Council in the face of reality, it has made up for the major differences caused by the Iraq War to the Security Council, meanwhile, it also helps the Iraqi people to restore their normal life as quickly as possible.

By People's Daily Online

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