United Nations team should visit Iraq before deciding on sanctions
United Nations team should visit Iraq before deciding on sanctions
Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Indonesia has urged the United Nations weapons inspection team to
visit Iraq prior to the UN Security Council (UNSC) decision on
whether or not to lift the long-standing economic sanctions
imposed on the country.
Spokesman for the foreign ministry Marty Natalegawa said on
Thursday that Indonesia was concerned about the humanitarian
problems that have resulted from the sanctions that have been in
place for over a decade, but stressed that its removal be
determined through established UN procedures.
"The existence of weapons of mass destruction was the pretext
of the sanctions and the U.S.-led attack, so this should be
verified first before the UNSC makes any decisions regarding the
sanction," Marty told The Jakarta Post.
"We are not ignorant of the sufferings of the Iraqi people,
but because of recent events, UN procedures should be adhered to
regarding the sanctions."
Indonesia was among the staunchest opponents of the U.S.-led
attack on Iraq, calling it an act of aggression and a violation
of international law.
Fresh from its victory in Iraq, the U.S., in its capacity as a
permanent member of the UNSC, asked the world body to lift the
economic sanctions on Baghdad.
Russia and China, also permanent members of the UNSC, have
rejected the request, saying that the UN weapons inspection team
should first determine the existence of weapons of mass
destruction beforehand.
The U.S. has rejected the involvement of the UN inspection
team, and has instead established its own verification team to
prove the presence of weapons of mass destruction.
Some suspect that lifting the economic sanctions now would
only benefit the U.S., which has established a postwar interim
administration in Iraq.
Marty underlined that such a unilateral inspection team was
inadequate for providing the information upon which the UNSC
would base its decision regarding the sanctions.
"We were against the sanction when it was imposed years ago,
and there are UN procedures to be complied with before lifting
it," he said.
International relations analyst from the Centre of Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS) Jusuf Wanandi suggested that
Indonesia join the call to ask for the return of the UN
inspection team to Iraq.
"It was the UNSC which imposed the sanctions, so they should
be the ones who must take the appropriate steps before deciding
to lift it," Jusuf concurred.
He said that it was not a matter of whether the U.S. would
benefit from the removal of the sanctions, but it was a matter of
making an attempt to put the world back in order.
"The U.S. ignored the UN when they decided to attack Iraq, and
this behavior cannot be tolerated again after the war," he said.
Meanwhile, UN weapons inspectors should return to Iraq to play
a vital role with regard to weapons of mass destruction, British
Foreign Secretary Jack Straw was quoted by Agence France-Presse
on Friday.
Straw said the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection
Commission (UNMOVIC) led by Hans Blix should be allowed to resume
its work in tracking down any weapons of mass destruction held by
the fallen Iraqi regime.