UN due to be ignored again...

Having fought for a dozen years to maintain the punishing sanctions against Iraq, the US government is now demanding that they be scrapped.

Under international law, however, no one can begin tapping Iraq's oil wealth without the UN Security Council first lifting sanctions. The only
oil that Iraq has legally sold since the first Persian Gulf War in 1991 has been through the UN-supervised oil-for-food program.

Washington wants this program, which comes up for renewal at the beginning of June, scrapped along with the sanctions. In its place, it would
substitute a US-run system for selling oil, securing imports and awarding contracts.

Having insisted for more than a decade on the strict enforcement of sanctions that are blamed by UN sources for the death of more than half a
million Iraqi children, Washington is now cynically demanding their summary abrogation on "humanitarian grounds."

The problem is it can't be scrapped until UN weapons inspectors say that they either don't have the weapons or they've been destroyed. Now the US won't allow any UN inspectors into Iraq to verify this.

Instead the US administration has formed an "Iraq Survey Group," which is to include some 1,000 US intelligence agents and contract employees led by a US general, to scour the country for any trace of chemical or biological weapons.

Blix maintains that the Bush administration's hostility to the resumption of the UN inspections stemmed from its failure to confirm the allegations it made in its attempt to win support for a US invasion. "We had credibility and we didn't lend it to their contentions, and I think that we were right and I think so far nothing has proved us wrong,"

The UN Security Council has asked Blix to report in a closed-door session next week on proposals to resume his work in Iraq. The US is expected to
oppose any such move, fearing that the presence of UN inspectors could expose its own attempts to fabricate a justification for its military action.

In the end, Europe may bow to bullying from Washington to accept US terms on ending the sanctions regime in the hopes of salvaging some portion of its economic interests in Iraq. Should it resist, it is likely that the Bush administration will defy international law once again and order the US military occupation authorities to begin pumping and selling Iraqi oil on their own.

Either way, a criminal war of aggression is giving rise to acts of colonial-style piracy and a dangerous sharpening of tensions between the major imperialist powers.

Not surprsing, lets hope that the people of the World make a stand

Thats a good amount of speculation, it sounds good in all.

Here is something else to think about;

1. The trade sanctions were not just on oil

2. Last week stores and stores of medical supplies were found hidden in Iraq. (though it is speculating, I would be that some of those halfmillion kids would still be alive if Sadam hadnt hidden those supplies)

3. The sanctions were not targeting the Iraqi people, there were against the government. They were leanient enough to allow the people to live just fine without suffering much, but the corrup Iraqi government prevented this. The Sanctions on Iraq really were not that dissimiler than the ones on Cuba, yet the Cubans arnt doing to bad are they?


I'll add more later

I've little comment on the sanctions aspect of things. I'm more concerned that the only way they are supposed to able to be lifted is if UN inpectors (who are seen internationally as impartial and credble) are allowed to verify that either there is not weapons or they have been destroyed. Yet the US won't let them in.

Surely letting the UN verify that is the quickest way of getting the sanctions released, rather that fight with the UN again. I wonder why they won't let them in?