U.S. Delays Push for New Iraq Sanctions

Faced with unyielding opposition from Russia, France and Egypt, the United States on Wednesday backed off from its demand that the U.N. Security Council immediately impose new sanctions on Iraq.

The American decision to delay a proposed travel ban directed at high-level Iraqi officials was further evidence that the U.S.-led coalition that defeated Iraq in the 1991 Persian Gulf War has frayed.

U.S. officials will settle for a strongly worded warning to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, demanding that he cooperate with a U.N. commission charged with dismantling Iraq’s biological, chemical and nuclear weapons capacity. If Iraq doesn’t cooperate with the panel by April 1998, the newly proposed resolution says, the Security Council can enact the travel restrictions, adding them to existing economic sanctions.

The proposal is expected to be put to a vote today.

Citing a new U.N. report that criticizes Iraq for impeding investigation of its biological weapons program, the U.S. and Britain on Monday proposed the travel ban. While a majority of the 15-member Security Council backed that plan, the Russians, French and Egyptians balked. They argued that there were insufficient grounds for new sanctions and that Iraq was not getting credit for those areas in which it has cooperated with U.N. weapons inspectors.

Iraq countered that it would consider banning the weapons inspectors entirely if new sanctions were imposed.

In an effort to ensure a unanimous vote in the Security Council, the U.S. and Britain softened the measure Wednesday. U.S. officials were concerned that a less than unanimous vote would reinforce Iraqi intransigence.

U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson contended that the new proposal would still send a strong message to Iraq to comply with the U.N. inspectors or face additional sanctions.

British Ambassador John Weston left open the possibility of reviving the tougher resolution if Russia, France or Egypt decides against supporting the compromise plan. Russia and France, as permanent members of the Security Council, can veto any council action.