Indonesia reprises commitment to help end Iraq sanctions

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday reiterated his recent commitment to help end United Nations economic sanctions that have beleaguered Iraq for the past four-years when he received a delegation of the Iraqi parliament.

"President Soeharto...as a friend and chairman of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) has promised to do all that he possibly can," said Sa'di Mahdi the head of the four-person delegation after meeting the President at Merdeka palace.

Yesterday's meeting came on the heels of Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammad Said al-Sahaf's visit here, who less then three days ago, as special envoy to Saddam Hussein, conveyed a similar message to help end the economic sanctions imposed during the 1991 Gulf war.

To al-Sahaf, President Soeharto pledged Indonesia and NAM's support.

Speaker of the House of Representatives Wahono who was also present at yesterday's meeting echoed Soeharto's response saying that Indonesia has responded positively to Iraq's request.

According to Wahono, during the less then one hour meeting, Soeharto explained that the efforts to stop the sanctions would be done through the NAM caucus at the U.N. Security Council and the NAM Bureau in New York.

The NAM caucus consist of member states who also hold a non- permanent seat at the Security Council -- Algeria, Djibouti, Pakistan, Rwanda and Oman.

Apart from the efforts conducted at the U.N., Wahono also signaled a direct approach involving the country which he perceived as primarily responsible for the continued implementation of the sanctions.

"Since the embargo concerns the interest of certain nations on the Security Council among them the United States, we will then promptly try to conduct talks with President Clinton," he said.

Mahdi stated that his country has fulfilled all the demands stipulated within the U.N. resolution but still it has not been lifted.

"The prolonged implementation of sanctions have gone beyond the boundaries humanity," he said describing the adverse effects of the embargo on the Iraqi people.(07)