At the United Nations Security Council in New York City, the United States and its allies introduce a new resolution aimed at ending more than ten years of economic sanctions against Iraq and giving the U.S.-led coalition control over Iraqi oil revenues. Amy Katz has more on that and on other developments in Iraq.
The United States, Britain and Spain presented the new resolution to a closed session of the Security Council Friday. Members arrived to begin debate on the resolution – which recognizes the US-led coalition’s economic and political control of Iraq – as an occupying power.
It calls for the immediate lifting of economic sanctions that were imposed on Iraq after its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The resolution would phase out the United Nations’ so-called “oil-for-food” program – which was created to ease the impact of the sanctions on the Iraqi people. Money from Iraqi oil sales would go into a U.S.—British fund to be used for reconstruction and relief efforts.
The US Ambassador to the UN – John Negroponte – said it is time the world body acknowledge there is a new Iraq.
JOHN NEGROPONTE, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.
“A way has to be found to disentangle and disengage the United Nations from many of the resolutions that were passed under entirely different circumstances.”
Meanwhile, in Baghdad Friday, witnesses said an Iraqi civilian was shot and killed in his car by U.S. soldiers – because he would not move off the road. There was no immediate comment from the U-S military.
Just a day before, Iraqis shot two U.S. soldiers to death. General Tommy Franks -- the head of U.S. Central Command – said he expects coalition forces to continue to encounter what he called – “rough behavior.” He says his troops are prepared for this in the weeks ahead.
About 100 kilometers north of Baghdad Friday, residents of a farming village gave members of the media a tour of the area. Up until the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime, armed soldiers stood guard over fighter planes there. The aircraft were brought to the town and dispersed among local farms – before the start of the U.S.—led attack. The farmers say the guards had begun dismantling the planes and burying components – to hide them from coalition bombing. Residents now hope coalition forces will remove the fighter planes – because they fear they may be dangerous.