United Nations team should visit Iraq before deciding on sanctions<\/p>\n
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia has urged the United Nations weapons inspection team to
\nvisit Iraq prior to the UN Security Council (UNSC) decision on
\nwhether or not to lift the long-standing economic sanctions
\nimposed on the country.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the foreign ministry Marty Natalegawa said on
\nThursday that Indonesia was concerned about the humanitarian
\nproblems that have resulted from the sanctions that have been in
\nplace for over a decade, but stressed that its removal be
\ndetermined through established UN procedures.<\/p>\n
"The existence of weapons of mass destruction was the pretext
\nof the sanctions and the U.S.-led attack, so this should be
\nverified first before the UNSC makes any decisions regarding the
\nsanction," Marty told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
"We are not ignorant of the sufferings of the Iraqi people,
\nbut because of recent events, UN procedures should be adhered to
\nregarding the sanctions."<\/p>\n
Indonesia was among the staunchest opponents of the U.S.-led
\nattack on Iraq, calling it an act of aggression and a violation
\nof international law.<\/p>\n
Fresh from its victory in Iraq, the U.S., in its capacity as a
\npermanent member of the UNSC, asked the world body to lift the
\neconomic sanctions on Baghdad.<\/p>\n
Russia and China, also permanent members of the UNSC, have
\nrejected the request, saying that the UN weapons inspection team
\nshould first determine the existence of weapons of mass
\ndestruction beforehand.<\/p>\n
The U.S. has rejected the involvement of the UN inspection
\nteam, and has instead established its own verification team to
\nprove the presence of weapons of mass destruction.<\/p>\n
Some suspect that lifting the economic sanctions now would
\nonly benefit the U.S., which has established a postwar interim
\nadministration in Iraq.<\/p>\n
Marty underlined that such a unilateral inspection team was
\ninadequate for providing the information upon which the UNSC
\nwould base its decision regarding the sanctions.<\/p>\n
"We were against the sanction when it was imposed years ago,
\nand there are UN procedures to be complied with before lifting
\nit," he said.<\/p>\n
International relations analyst from the Centre of Strategic
\nand International Studies (CSIS) Jusuf Wanandi suggested that
\nIndonesia join the call to ask for the return of the UN
\ninspection team to Iraq.<\/p>\n
"It was the UNSC which imposed the sanctions, so they should
\nbe the ones who must take the appropriate steps before deciding
\nto lift it," Jusuf concurred.<\/p>\n
He said that it was not a matter of whether the U.S. would
\nbenefit from the removal of the sanctions, but it was a matter of
\nmaking an attempt to put the world back in order.<\/p>\n
"The U.S. ignored the UN when they decided to attack Iraq, and
\nthis behavior cannot be tolerated again after the war," he said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, UN weapons inspectors should return to Iraq to play
\na vital role with regard to weapons of mass destruction, British
\nForeign Secretary Jack Straw was quoted by Agence France-Presse
\non Friday.<\/p>\n
Straw said the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
\nCommission (UNMOVIC) led by Hans Blix should be allowed to resume
\nits work in tracking down any weapons of mass destruction held by
\nthe fallen Iraqi regime.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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