CNN - Iraq warns of 'grave consequences' if sanctions remain


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S P E C I A L: Inspecting Iraq

Iraq warns of 'grave consequences' if sanctions remain
May 1, 1998
Web posted at: 5:46 p.m. EDT (2146 GMT)
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi government warned the U.N. Security Council Friday that there will be "grave consequences" if economic sanctions it imposed on Iraq during the Gulf War are not lifted.

"The absence of a bare minimum result for the Iraqi people in lifting sanctions, in spite of the passage of eight years and the sacrifices made in cooperating with the Security Council and [U.N. weapons inspectors] will lead to grave consequences," the country's political leadership said in an open letter to the council.

The statement was issued after a joint meeting between Iraq's Revolutionary Command Council and the leadership of the ruling Baath Party, both of which are headed by Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

The letter represented the Iraqi leadership's formal response to the council's decision Monday to renew the sanctions, imposed after Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, for another six months.

The Iraqi statement did not give details on what those "grave consequences" might be. But it noted that wars break out when nations feel an acute injustice and have no other means to redress that injustice.

The statement said Iraq would "wait to see how the Security Council will act after this letter."

"This state of affairs is a shameful one. It forces us to stick to our rights, to the rightful way and to the great jihad for the rights of our people, nation and humanity," the letter said.

The Iraqis accused the United Nations of caving into pressure from the United States to renew the sanctions and called on the council to replace Richard Butler, the U.N.'s chief weapons inspector, whom the Iraqis accuse of having an anti-Iraq bias.

Diplomats on the council have said that the economic sanctions will not be lifted until Iraq has eliminated its weapons of mass destruction. The Iraqis have said they have destroyed all of those weapons, but arms inspectors say they have not been able to verify those claims.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Iraq warns of 'grave consequences' if sanctions remain

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