U.N. Told of Violations of Iraq Embargo

Seeking to bolster their push for embargo enforcement powers resisted by the Soviet Union, officials from the United States and Britain complained Thursday of widespread violations of the international trade sanctions against Iraq, saying that “many ships” were carrying Iraqi oil in “many directions.”

The charges before a special U.N. sanctions committee followed an announcement that negotiators for the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, France and China had tentatively agreed on a U.S.-sponsored measure endorsing military force to uphold the embargo.

American and British envoys expressed hope that the agreement by the Security Council’s five big powers meant that Soviet objections to the proposed resolution were ending and that the full 15-member body would adopt it by Sunday.

Thomas R. Pickering, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters after a closed meeting of the sanctions committee that there are “many tankers, lots of petroleum moving” out of Iraq. “It seems to be headed in many directions.”

The British ambassador, Crispin Tickell, added that “there are organized violations on a wide scale.” Neither envoy provided details.

But the Finnish and Cuban ambassadors, who sit on the sanctions panel, expressed irritation, suggesting that the charges were an overblown ploy to win support for the U.S.-backed enforcement resolution, which failed to win Security Council approval early Tuesday.

“If there are ships in the area that have left different ports, going to different ports, it doesn’t give any evidence to us to say that countries are violating,” said deputy Finnish Ambassador Marjatta Rasi.

The agreed-on resolution, which permits the use of “minimum force” to disable and board merchant ships suspected of embargo violations, still must be reviewed by top officials of the member nations.

Most critical are the Soviets, who have been opposing U.S. demands for unilateral authority to enforce the embargo imposed after Iraq’s Aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. The Soviets have sought instead to place a U.N. committee in control of policing the sanctions.

The Soviets also continue to argue that action on the unprecedented resolution should await further diplomatic efforts to resolve the Persian Gulf crisis as well as clear evidence that the embargo is being breached.

However, American and British officials were hopeful that the measure would be adopted as early as today. A top Soviet diplomat also predicted action soon, a seemingly significant statement because U.S. officials have said they would not press for a vote unless Soviet support was assured.

Along with the Soviet Union, China has objected to the resolution but has indicated it will abstain from voting rather than cast a veto. Each of the five permanent members of the Security Council has the power to block a measure. There appears to be sufficient support among the council’s 10 temporary members to guarantee adoption of the U.S. proposal.

President Bush has declared that U.S. warships already have the right to halt suspect merchant vessels because Kuwait has requested assistance under a U.N. Charter provision. However, the United States has sought to obtain a broader “U.N. umbrella” to avoid being portrayed as a lone operator against Iraq.

The agreement on wording of the resolution was reached after nearly a week of intense five-power talks at France’s U.N. mission on the 8th floor of a skyscraper near U.N. headquarters in New York.

Pickering emerged beaming from a session Thursday afternoon and told reporters before ducking into his limousine: “It was a very productive meeting.”

Later, he issued a statement saying that “we have agreed to a draft text to send to our capitals.”

Tickell agreed that substantial progress had been made, saying after the meeting, “We’re working rather well together. We are working hard on texts and ideas together, and it is going well.”

When Valentin V. Lozinskiy, the deputy Soviet ambassador, was asked if the Soviets had been “holding things up,” he exclaimed with a chuckle: “I’d say the Iraqis!”

Without saying how the Soviets would vote, Lozinskiy said the Security Council “probably” would act this week. Tickell, when informed of this remark, commented, “That sounds a sensible prophecy.”

Lozinskiy, pressing his way through a forest of cameras and reporters, continued to question the need for immediate action.

“Political and diplomatic efforts should be given the chance” before broad enforcement powers are granted, he said.