[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1452-S1453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UNITED NATIONS SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ

  Mr. THOMPSON. Mr. President, I rise today to express my concern over 
ongoing discussions in New York between Iraqi representatives and the 
United Nations Secretariat over possible implementation of U.N. 
Security Council Resolution 986. Should Resolution 986 be accepted by 
Iraq, $2 billion of Iraqi oil would be permitted to be sold on the 
international market over a 6-month period. A loosening of the economic 
embargo under Resolution 986 would occur without any linkage to the 
cessation of Iraq's drive to acquire weapons of mass destruction. The 
prospect of even a partial lifting of the Iraqi embargo at this time 
raises a number of concerns and may serve to remind Members of the 
continuing duplicity and intransigence of the Iraqi regime, and the 
costs the United States has borne as a result. Moreover, the fact that 
the recent discussions over implementing Resolution 986 have occurred 
in a virtual information black-out, without the input or oversight of 
the American U.N. Representative, adds additional concern.
  If accepted by Iraq, Resolution 986 would permit Iraq to sell oil in 
order to finance humanitarian goods and address ``the serious 
nutritional and health situation of the Iraqi people.'' Resolution 986 
would not, however, require Iraq to cease its efforts to acquire 
weapons of mass destruction--the foremost reason sanctions were imposed 
against Iraq in the first place. While reducing the suffering of the 
Iraqi people is certainly a laudable goal, the cause of this suffering 
rests squarely and completely on the shoulders of Saddam Hussein. His 
continued refusal to accept relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions 
regarding cessation of the production of weapons of mass destruction 
and his continued harsh internal repression against the people of Iraq 
are the causes of the economic embargo and the deprivations suffered by 
the Iraqi people, as well as others in the region.
  Despite apparent cooperation with U.N. monitors in some areas, 
evidence of Iraqi's ongoing effort to build weapons of mass destruction 
was obtained as recently as 2 months ago. On December 8, 1995, Jordan 
said it intercepted a shipment of missile guidance components bound for 
Iraq. A few weeks later, on December 26, Jordan intercepted dangerous 
chemicals on their way to Iraq. On December 15, 1995, the United 
Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM) reported that Iraq 
continues to conceal and provide false information on its efforts to 
develop weapons of mass destruction. Mr. President, these incidents 
alone, even ignoring past acts of terrorism and weapons procurement, 
should be sufficient cause to continue fully the economic embargo 
against Iraq. Even a temporary allowance for ``humanitarian'' oil sales 
will decrease the pressure on Iraq to comply with U.N. requirements to 
dismantle its facilities for the production of weapons of mass 
destruction and could free-up other Iraqi resources for its weapons 
programs.
  Beyond ceasing production of chemical, biological and nuclear 
weapons, Saddam Hussein is also required to end 

[[Page S1453]]
the repression of Iraqi citizens under the terms of U.N. Security 
Council Resolution 688 enacted on April 1, 1991. The most recently 
available Human Rights Report issued by our State Department calls the 
human rights situation in Iraq ``abysmal''. Just a short excerpt from 
that report makes the case that conditions of Resolution 688 have not 
been met:

       Political power in Iraq is concentrated in a repressive 
     one-party apparatus dominated by Saddam Hussein. . . . 
     Systematic violations continued in all categories, including 
     mass executions of political opponents, widespread use of 
     torture, extreme repression of ethnic groups, disappearances, 
     denial of due process, and arbitrary detention.

  Mr. President, I certainly do not wish more hardships on the Iraqi 
people beyond those they have already suffered at the hands of Saddam 
Hussein. But softening the pressure against his regime, while so many 
examples of outrageous and dangerous activities continue to confront 
us, makes no sense. Certainly reducing the pressure on Iraq now will 
not hasten the day when the Iraqi people can live free of the 
depredations imposed on them by Saddam Hussein.
  Even more alarming than a temporary easing of sanctions, however, are 
suggestions that UNSCOM may recommend lifting the Iraqi embargo 
entirely sometime this year. How such a recommendation could be 
contemplated so shortly after UNSCOM itself reported that Iraq 
continues to lie and hide information about its weapons program is 
baffling. Further increasing America's dependence on imported oil from 
a country with Iraq's openly hostile objectives is not in our national 
interest.
  On that point, I should also mention that on March 27 of last year, 
the Foreign Relations Committee held hearings on the subject of 
American dependence on foreign oil. Despite repeated findings over many 
years that the United States' national security is harmed by a 
dependence on foreign oil, this dependence continues to increase. I 
commend Chairman Helms for having held this hearing and recommend that 
colleagues concerned about our national dependence on foreign oil 
review the hearing record.
  In any case Mr. President, either a temporary easing of sanctions 
under Resolution 986, or a permanent lifting of sanctions pursuant to 
earlier Security Council Resolutions, should be accompanied by a full 
reporting to Congress of the effect on U.S. national security of any 
Iraqi oil sales, the steps being taken to ensure adequate protection of 
human rights in Iraq, and the international safeguards in place to 
protect against future weapons development by Iraq.

                          ____________________