BAGHDAD, Nov 15, 2000 -- (Reuters) Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov accused the
United States and Britain on Tuesday of breaching UN resolutions by using their warplanes
to patrol no-fly zones in southern and northern Iraq.

"Air bombing (of Iraqi targets) by U.S. and British airforces is a breach of international law
and UN resolutions," Ivanov told a news conference held jointly with Iraq's Deputy Prime
Minister Tareq Aziz at the end of a two-day visit to Iraq.

"Russia calls for abrogating the so-called no-fly zones," he said.

"We should not hold responsible one party while the other party carries out actions which
contradict United Nations resolutions," Ivanov said.

U.S. and British warplanes patrol no-fly zones over southern and northern Iraq set up after
the 1991 Gulf War. The zones, which Baghdad does not recognize, were imposed to protect
Kurds in the north and Shi'ite Muslims in the south from attack by Iraqi government forces.

Western raids have become a regular occurrence since Baghdad decided to challenge jets
patrolling the zones after extensive U.S.-British attacks on Iraqi targets last December. The
Western attacks were ordered in retaliation for Iraq's refusal to continue cooperation with
UN weapons inspectors.

Baghdad has rejected a UN resolution adopted last December which could ease sanctions on
Iraq once Baghdad allowed a new arms inspection team to return.

RUSSIA WANTS END TO SANCTIONS

Ivanov also called for lifting the 10-year-old UN trade sanctions, but linked the emd of the
embargo to a resumption of UN inspections of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction.

"Russia believes that time has come for lifting the embargo but within the context of
international monitoring and in accordance with UN resolutions," he said.

He said that Russia had lost tens of billion of dollars because of the UN sanctions imposed
on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

Moscow, which hopes to recoup some of Iraq's multi-billion dollar Soviet-era debts, has
maintained that sanctions are counterproductive and have hit ordinary Iraqis much more
than the country's leadership.

Ivanov said he delivered to President Saddam Hussein a letter from President Vladimir
Putin. "The letter includes Russia's real and serious desire to find a quick solution to the
Iraqi crisis and the situation in the Gulf region."

Earlier, Russia's RIA news agency quoted Ivanov as calling for the world to relieve pressure
on Iraq and look for new ways to deal with Baghdad.

Ivanov, the highest foreign official to pay a visit to Baghdad in several years, told the agency
that current international policies of sanctions and military pressure had proved futile and
caused human suffering.

"One should not only demand that Iraq make good on decisions taken by the international
community but also create favorable conditions for it to do so," Ivanov was quoted as
saying.
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The Kurdistan Observer
www.kurdistanobserver.com

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