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U.N. OKs U.S.-Led Administration of Iraq
AP ^ | 5/22/03 | EDITH M. LEDERER

Posted on 05/22/2003 8:07:28 AM PDT by Valin

UNITED NATIONS - In a victory for the United States, the U.N. Security Council overwhelmingly approved a resolution Thursday giving the United Nations' backing to the U.S.-led administration of Iraq and lifting economic sanctions. The resolution passed by a 14-0 vote, with Syria - the only Arab nation on the council - absent.

John Negroponte, the U.S. ambassador, said that after more than a decade of being frozen out of the world economy by sanctions against Saddam Hussein's regime, "it is time for the Iraqi people to benefit from their natural resources," a reference to the country's vast oil wealth.

The final resolution represented a compromise, after France and Russia pushed for a stronger role for the United Nations. But it left the underlying goal of the United States and its allies intact: Washington and London, as occupying powers, remain firmly in control of Iraq and its oil wealth "until an internationally recognized, representative government is established." With the immediate lifting of sanctions, oil exports are expected to quickly resume, said Pakistan's U.N. Ambassador Munir Akram and other council diplomats. There are 8 million barrels of Iraqi oil in storage points at the Turkish port of Ceyhan, one of Iraq's two export terminals, that can be sold immediately, diplomats said.

Ahead of the Thursday morning session, the three staunchest opponents of the U.S.-led war on Iraq - France, Russia and Germany - announced they would back the resolution. That left Syria's vote the only one in doubt. Secretary of State Colin Powell had expressed hope for a unanimous 15-0 vote_ but Syria didn't show up for the vote. The near-unanimous approval for the resolution marks a turnaround for the council, whose unity was shattered over the war. In an acrimonious debate earlier this year, Russia, France and Germany succeeded in blocking a U.S.-backed resolution seeking authorization to attack Iraq.

Council members had made clear they didn't want another debacle over a postwar resolution. In the two weeks since the United States introduced it, the text of the resolution saw more than 90 changes. The final version gives the United Nations a stronger role in establishing a democratic government than initially envisioned, and the stature of a U.N. special representative in Iraq is increased. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who attended the council meeting, has promised to quickly appoint a representative, and speculation centered on U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, who has Washington's support.

The world body did not get the lead role that France, Russia and Germany would have liked. France, which had led opposition to the U.S. war in Iraq, was concerned that the resolution would give the United States too much power, and French Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere noted the resolution "is not perfect." "We believe it now provides a credible framework in which the international community can lend support to the Iraqi people," the ambassador said.

French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, standing beside his German and Russian counterparts in Paris, said late Wednesday that the three countries decided to vote for the postwar resolution because it "opens the road" for a central U.N. role. He said the three nations had chosen "the path of unity of the international community." The text "does not go as far as we had hoped" but "the United Nations is back in the game," he said. "We are convinced that the U.N. will tomorrow be the focus for international action, due to its legitimacy, experience and capabilities."

Many council members had complained the resolution set no end to the U.S. and British occupation of Iraq and gave the victorious allies far more power than do international conventions dealing with occupying forces. Many also wanted the council to have a significant role in monitoring reconstruction. Negroponte insisted the United States would not accept any time limits on how long it could administer Iraq - a response to a French and German suggestion that it be for one year and not open-ended.

In a key concession, however, the United States agreed to let the Security Council "review the implementation of this resolution within 12 months of adoption and to consider further steps that might be necessary." The previous texts did not call for any U.N. review of the postwar Iraq operation. Hinting at another concession to Russia and other council members, Britain's U.N. Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock said in a BBC interview late Wednesday that the coalition sees "a role for the U.N. inspectors ... in confirming that Iraq is free of any threat in the area of weapons of mass destruction."

Sanctions imposed on Saddam's regime after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990 technically cannot be lifted until U.N. weapons inspectors declare it free of weapons of mass destruction. But the United States has refused to allow them to return. The resolution lifts economic sanctions without certification from U.N. inspectors, but it reaffirms "that Iraq must meet its disarmament obligations" and says the council will discuss the mandates of the U.N. inspectors later. It gives no time frame.

The Bush administration said this week that nuclear inspectors would be allowed to jointly inspect the looted nuclear research center at Tuwaitha.

Nearly half the seven-page resolution deal with arrangements to phase out the U.N. oil-for-food humanitarian program over the next six months and transfer control of Iraq's oil revenue from the United Nations to the United States and Britain. During the phase-out period, Annan will go through $10 billion worth of contracts approved and funded under the program and decide whether they are needed by the Iraqi people. Many of these contracts are with Russian companies.

The occupying powers, meanwhile, will take charge of a new Iraqi Development Fund, which will have an international advisory and monitoring board that de Villepin said would provide "transparency." The resolution grants immunity from lawsuits involving oil and natural gas until an internationally recognized government is in place and Iraq's $400 billion debt is restructured.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: draftresolution; idf; postwariraq; sanctions; un
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Well GOSH! That's really nice of the U.N.
1 posted on 05/22/2003 8:07:29 AM PDT by Valin
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To: Valin
Give AP credit. They found a pony in that pile called the UN.
2 posted on 05/22/2003 8:09:00 AM PDT by mewzilla
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To: mewzilla
Oh boy another Bush win. This combined with the tax cut, albeit not as big as we would like, must have the 9 dwarfs crying in their milk.
3 posted on 05/22/2003 8:16:38 AM PDT by marlon
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To: Valin
I guess Syria didn't want to be the odd ball on the vote so it's best to not show up. That just make a shutout victory for Bush against the Daschle quoted "failed diplomacy".
4 posted on 05/22/2003 8:21:30 AM PDT by m1-lightning (Gephardt's fortunate millionaires are the ones that sue manufacturers for a living.)
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To: marlon
W's on a roll.
Now, if we can just put Al Queda in a can and seal it tight...
5 posted on 05/22/2003 8:21:31 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Valin
Who died and made the U.N. the boss of the world? Screw the worthless, tyrannical, fake, corrupt, kangaroo court, U.N.

France got a piece of the pie I read...

6 posted on 05/22/2003 8:24:11 AM PDT by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
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To: Valin
So the UN gets to see our progress in a year (when we'll mostly be out) and we have to let weapons inspectors in after we say were done inspecting? Ok, fine.
7 posted on 05/22/2003 8:24:11 AM PDT by GraniteStateConservative (Putting government in charge of morality is like putting pedophiles in charge of children.)
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To: Valin
Thanks for the AP article post.

Here is a link to a Reuters article/thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/915979/posts
8 posted on 05/22/2003 8:24:46 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (Time to visit this website and join up: http://www.georgewbush.com/)
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To: Valin
What was the UN's option? Kick the U.S. and Britain out of the UN? Kick us out of Iraq? Hold their breath until they turned blue?

We had them in a corner and we graciously let them out. Good diplomacy.
9 posted on 05/22/2003 8:25:15 AM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all things that need to be done need to be done by the government.)
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To: GraniteStateConservative
So the UN gets to see our progress in a year

And if they don't like what they see? Another STRONGLY worded resolution, OH NO! not that!
10 posted on 05/22/2003 8:28:06 AM PDT by Valin (Age and deceit beat youth and skill)
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To: Valin
A victory for the United States would be if we hadn't asked.
11 posted on 05/22/2003 8:34:03 AM PDT by Carry_Okie
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
if the un had not acted we would supposedly be in violation of the sanctions when needed to take oil for development of the country.

I dont agree with the need for the UN, but it will take the focus off of the US.
12 posted on 05/22/2003 8:34:34 AM PDT by fooman (Get real with Kim Jung Mentally Ill about proliferation)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot
Hold their breath until they turned blue?

[....bluer.]

13 posted on 05/22/2003 8:36:21 AM PDT by sam_paine
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To: Valin
"King Canute gives okay to rising tide."
14 posted on 05/22/2003 8:56:44 AM PDT by Travis McGee (----- www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com -----)
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To: Valin
Headline should read:

France, Germany, and Russia surrender to Bush.

15 posted on 05/22/2003 9:07:45 AM PDT by VRWC_minion (Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: sparky samson
their very near future
17 posted on 05/22/2003 9:35:51 AM PDT by thoughtomator ("There are no liars in our newsroom! Never!" - Baghdad Howie)
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Comment #18 Removed by Moderator

To: turninproud
I'm afraid you're correct. The acceptance of a kufr based government is not only impossible, but actively discouraged by the words of the koran itself. No matter how much self governance we allow, it will always be considered kufr. Especially by the Shia population.
19 posted on 05/22/2003 10:23:40 AM PDT by Ugly Truth
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To: turninproud
So basically what your saying is that Arabs are animals who cannot live peacefully without constant outside threats to their lives to cooperate ?

If thats true maybe us westerners better review our equality premises.

20 posted on 05/22/2003 10:27:20 AM PDT by VRWC_minion (Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and most are right)
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