http://www.boston.com/dailynews/141/world/China_says_there_will_be_no_qu:.shtml

China says there will be no quick approval of plan to ease sanctions on Iraq

By Dafna Linzer, Associated Press, 5/21/2001 20:25

UNITED NATIONS (AP) Britain gave the other four veto-wielding members of the Security Council a draft of its proposals to ease sanctions on Iraq while China indicated Monday that there will be no quick approval of the new plan.

In Baghdad, President Saddam Hussein rejected all sanctions, including the British plan which would, for the first time, allow the import of civilian goods but continue to strictly prohibit military-related items.

Chinese deputy Ambassador Shen Guofang said the British proposal, which has received U.S. backing, comes with ''preconditions and restrictions attached. So we are not sure whether these measures are feasible or not.''

Shen said his government also needed more time to study the highly-technical list of items that would be prohibited.

Britain is pushing to have the easing of sanctions incorporated into the next six-month extension of the U.N. oil-for-food program, which was established in late 1996 to help ordinary Iraqis cope with sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

The current six-month phase ends June 4.

The oil-for-food program allows Iraq to sell oil under strict U.N. financial controls, provided the money goes mainly to buy food and other humanitarian supplies and to repair the country's oil infrastructure.

Shen praised one part of the British proposal, which would allow Iraq to use money from oil sales being held in escrow to pay its U.N. dues, now about $15 million.

Iraq's oil revenue will still be under U.N. control if the British proposal is adopted.

Monday's meeting was the first time that the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council sat down to discuss the British proposals. Russia, China and France have been Iraq's main supporters on the 15-member Security Council, and their support is critical to any overhaul of sanctions because each has veto power.

Britain is expected to circulate the draft resolution to the full council on Tuesday.

-- Anonymous, May 22, 2001