[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 76 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 76

         Enforcing the embargo on the export of oil from Iraq.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 12, 1998

Mr. Murkowski submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

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                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
         Enforcing the embargo on the export of oil from Iraq.

Whereas hostilities in Operation Desert Storm ended on February 28, 1991, and 
        the cease fire was codified in United Nations Security Council 
        Resolutions 686 (March 2, 1991) and 687 (April 3, 1991);
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 requires that 
        international economic sanctions, including an embargo on the sale of 
        oil from Iraq, remain in place until Iraq discloses and destroys its 
        weapons of mass destruction programs and capabilities and undertakes 
        unconditionally never to resume such activities;
Whereas Resolution 687 further established the United Nations Special Commission 
        (UNSCOM) on Iraq to uncover all aspects of Iraq's weapons of mass 
        destruction program;
Whereas, despite the sustained opposition of the Government of Iraq, UNSCOM has 
        discovered many instances of inaccurate actions by Iraq concerning Iraqi 
        ballistic missile capabilities and chemical and biological programs;
Whereas Security Council Resolution 986 (April 14, 1995) partially lifted 
        international economic sanctions by allowing Iraq to sell $1 billion in 
        oil every 90 days, the proceeds of which are designed, in part, for 
        humanitarian assistance to the people of Iraq;
Whereas a report by the Secretary General of the United Nations submitted on 
        February 2, 1998 recommends further easing of economic sanctions by 
        allowing Iraq to sell $5.2 billion in oil every six months;
Whereas the United States has indicated it will support the easing of further 
        economic sanctions proposed by the UN Secretary General;
Whereas revenues from oil exports have historically represented nearly all (95 
        percent) of Iraq's foreign exchange earnings;
Whereas, in the year preceding hostilities in Operation Desert Storm, Iraq's 
        export earnings totaled $10.4 billion;
Whereas Iraq, since the end of Operation Desert Storm, has been steadily 
        increasing exports of oil to Jordan from 60,000 to 80,000 barrels per 
        day and in December 1997, agreed to increase such shipments to 
        approximately 96,000 barrels per day;
Whereas Iraq has been able to circumvent international economic sanctions by 
        exporting oil to Turkey;
Whereas the Multinational Interdiction Force that conducts maritime searches in 
        the Persian Gulf has reported that exports of contraband Iraqi oil 
        through the Gulf have increased seven-fold in the past year, from $10 
        million in diesel fuel sales in 1996 to $75 million in 1997; and
Whereas Iraq's military capabilities, including its capacity to produce weapons 
        of mass destruction, are significantly enhanced by its ability to earn 
        foreign exchange primarily from oil exports: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms the continued 
        threat to international peace and security posed by Iraq's 
        refusal to meet its international obligations and end its 
        weapons of mass destruction programs;
            (2) urges the administration to oppose any further 
        weakening of economic sanctions including extension of, or 
        expansion of, United Nations Security Council Resolution 986;
            (3) urges the President to propose to the United Nations 
        Security Council measures to significantly tighten the 
        international embargo on the sale of oil from Iraq, including 
        efforts to strengthen the Multilateral Interdiction Force and 
        inspection operations near the Port of Basra;
            (4) urges the President to enter into negotiations with oil 
        producing nations in the Gulf to encourage them to make 
        subsidized sales of oil to Jordan; and
            (5) urges the President to submit a report to Congress 30 
        days before the United Nations is authorized to consider 
        renewing Iraq's authority to export oil setting forth a 
        detailed accounting for the disposition of the proceeds of 
        United Nations authorized sales of oil from Iraq.
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