U.S. and Britain ready renewed Iraq sanctions effort.
NEW YORK, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The United States and Britain are poised for another try at forcing through an overhaul of U.N sanctions on Iraq that just two months ago was torpedoed by Russia, diplomats said.
The simmering issue will reach full boil by November when the next [phase] of
Iraq's oil-for-food program must be set by the
U.N. Security Council.
Informal talks are expected in late September when the foreign ministers of
the permanent five Security Council members -
including Igor Ivanov of Russia - attend the annual opening of the
General Assembly. It is doubtful definitive conclusions will be reached then.
The United States and Britain will start from the same draft text - aimed at
easing restrictions on civilian goods to Iraq,
strengthening a ban on military supplies and curbing smuggling - that Russia
threatened to veto in early July, council diplomats
say.
Also standing by a familiar position is Iraq, which firmly rejects any notion of the so-called "smart sanctions" and in June cut off oil exports in protest at talks on the plan. Baghdad could do the same in the face of another effort to revamp sanctions when the current period of the oil program ends on November 30, Iraqi U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri told Reuters.
"We will pursue the same policy," Aldouri said. "Our policy hasn't changed. We will continue to oppose and to also use whatever we have to convince our friends within the Security Council not to endorse such draft resolutions.
"We hope that (Russia) will stick to their position. We are confident
that we ourselves can do our best in this battle"
against revamping the sanctions, Aldouri said. Some council diplomats say
Britain and the United States may start with the same draft that failed, but
will have to alter it to avoid another failure.
The key is how to get Russia on board, Western and Arabic diplomats agreed.
And like in May, the best hope for getting
Moscow to agree is for high-level talks between Washington and Moscow, diplomats
said.
That means President George W. Bush hammering out an agreement on Iraq with
President Vladimir Putin or U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell meeting with his Russian counterpart, Igor
Ivanov.
"We have the majority of the Security Council supporting us. It comes
down to convincing a solitary member," said a British
diplomat, referring to Russia. The U.S. State Department did not return calls
seeking comment. One way the Russians could be convinced, said one diplomat, is
to allow Iraq to use oil-for-food funds to repay debts, including its hefty one
to Russia.
Removing any clampdown on oil smuggling could also tempt Russia to remove its
resistance, said another diplomat on the
council.
Russia in turn is expected to offer, at least as a starting point in talks,
its own draft resolution to suspend sanctions shortly after
U.N. arms inspectors are allowed back into Iraq, diplomats said this week. That
proposal attracted little support in June, however.
The U.N. sanctions were imposed on Iraq when it invaded and seized Kuwait 11 years ago.