Indonesia promises to help end U.N. sanctions of Iraq

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has promised to help end economic sanctions imposed by the United Nations on Iraq.

"The President has promised to do whatever possible to equitably resolve the situation through the NAM caucus at the U.N. Security Council and the NAM coordinating bureau in New York," said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas after accompanying his Iraqi counterpart Mohammad Said al-Sahaf to a meeting with Soeharto at the Merdeka Palace yesterday.

Al-Sahaf arrived Sunday as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's special envoy for the end of the UN imposed sanctions.

Prior to his visit, al-Sahaf met with Yemeni President Ali Abdullah at Sanaa and acting Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar.

During yesterday's meeting with Soeharto, al-Sahaf conveyed a message from Saddam Hussein concerning the sanctions.

According to al-Sahaf, his country has satisfied all the demands placed upon them and the sanctions must be stopped.

He said that UN Security Council Resolution 687, section C, calls for the termination of sanctions after Iraq has fulfilled its obligations as stipulated by the Security Council.

Iraq's contention that it has fully complied with the resolution is disputed by Kuwait, which remains particularly upset about prisoners of war the emirate says have not yet been released.

Other issues include Iraq's continuing refusal to recognize a UN set border between the two countries, the sovereignty of Kuwait and the payment of war reparations.

Alatas concurred with al-Sahaf in their first meeting that Iraq has "come a long-way" in complying with the many demands of the Security Council.

This view was echoed yesterday when he stated that the sanctions should have been removed some time ago. "The persisting situation creates severe suffering to the people."

Describing the distress occurring in his country, al-Sahaf said the number of infant deaths has increased by seven times and deaths of children over five-years old quadrupled compared to that before the war.

The Iraqi envoy described the difficulties his government was having in maintaining an adequate medical supply causing a drop in public health and welfare.

The situation is further worsened by the freeze on Iraq's foreign assets thus denying them the opportunity to acquire badly needed supplies.

"The actions of the Security Council are unfair...we have suffered for over four years, this has never happened before in the modern world," al-Sahal claimed.

Elaborating further on the steps towards alleviating the sanctions, Alatas said it would have to be taken through the United Nations Security Council with the close cooperation of the NAM caucus.

The NAM caucus are the five NAM member states who hold non- permanent status at the Security Council -- Rwanda, Djibouti, Pakistan, Algeria and Oman.

According to Alatas the sanctions must go under review every two months and the next one should be in May.

"We will work closely with the Caucus and the NAM Coordinating bureau to begin discussions with the other members of the Security Council. Hopefully we will be successful, Alatas said.

Al-Sahaf is also scheduled to meet with Minister of Trade Satrio Budiardjo Joedono. (07)