Iraq lobbies for Indonesian support of end to sanctions

JAKARTA (JP): A special envoy of President Saddam Hussein met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas to ask for Indonesian support for the cessation of U.N. imposed sanctions on Iraq.

"The envoy has brought a letter to President Soeharto in his capacity as both the country's president and chairman of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) from President Saddam Hussein concerning the issue of U.N. sanctions still being imposed on Iraq," Alatas told reporters after meeting with Iraqi envoy Mohammad Sa'id al- Sahaf.

Alatas yesterday met with al-Sahaf yesterday at the foreign ministry building after earlier meeting with a special envoy from Cameroon President Paul Biya.

Al-Sahaf, who is also Iraq's foreign minister, is currently on a diplomatic tour to garner support for the end of the sanctions.

He has met with Yemeni president Ali Abdullah in Sanaa and acting Malaysian foreign minister Syed Hamid Albar in Kuala Lumpur before arriving here on Sunday.

Alatas said the letter to Soeharto called for Indonesia's support for the end of sanctions since Iraq has satisfied the demands of the U.N. resolution.

Among those terms cited was the fulfillment of Security Council Resolution 867 on the destruction of chemical and nuclear weapons as a result of the 1991 Gulf war.

"We believe Iraq has come a long way in complying with those demands," Alatas said. "It has fulfilled the many Security Council resolutions but still the economic sanctions continue."

When asked whether Indonesia would lend its support, Alatas said he did not wish to precede Soeharto whom al-Sahaf will meet today, but was confident that Indonesia would make inquiries.

We will definitely examine this matter carefully and see how we can help resolve the problem, he said without elaborating.

Earlier in the day Alatas met with Cameroon's special envoy Tsanga Abanda who has also met President Soeharto at the Merdeka Palace.

According to Alatas, Abanda is here to request Indonesia's assistance in resolving the territorial dispute between Cameroon and Nigeria over Bhakhasii island.

"The issue of our border has become a crisis, we are in great need of Indonesia's goodwill and assistance," said Abanda.

He explained that during his one-hour talk, Soeharto responded by assigning the NAM chairman's chief executive assistant Nana Sutresna and the NAM bureau in New York to tackle the crisis.

Hostages

Speaking on the five Indonesian military observers being held hostage by Serbian forces, Alatas could only say that the government was continuously monitoring the situation and maintaining close contact with all parties involved.

Some 200 multinational peacekeepers under the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) have been held hostage since Friday by Serbian troops in retaliation for NATO air strikes to alleviate Serbia's siege of Gorazde.

Despite the dire circumstances, Alatas still expressed his confidence at the hasty return of the captured peacekeepers.

"I'm sure the United Nations will solve this problem soon," he said.

When questioned on the effect of this latest episode on Indonesia's decision to send a medical team to Bosnia- Herzegovina, Alatas maintained there would be none.

"No, no effect...the situation there is very unpredictable and this is a condition we have to be extremely wary of, but I don't think it will change our decision to send a medical contingent," he said.(07)