Britain considering new policy on Iraq

Britain considering new policy on Iraq
REUTERS

LONDON, FEB 20: Britain is considering easing U.N. economic sanctions against Iraq and replacing them with so-called "smart" embargoes focused on arms control, British newspapers reported on Tuesday.

Britain and the United States had agreed to rethink theirpolicy towards Iraq in the face of mounting hostility from the Arab world after last Friday's British-U.S. Air strikes against Iraqi targets, the Guardian said, quoting unidentified British officials for its information.

The newspaper said the rethink had also been prompted bygrowing Opposition among NATO allies, including France and Germany, to existing attempts by Washington and London to contain Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

British ministers were actively considering a dual trackstrategy to try to turn foreign opinion around, the Guardian said.

"They are looking at plans for 'smart' sanctions combinedwith a new propaganda drive highlighting the repression carried out by the Iraqi regime and insisting that its people's suffering...is of the dictatorship's making," the newspaper said.

NO-FLY ZONES

It quoted the officials as saying the no-fly zones overnorthern and southern Iraq, enforced by U.S. And British warplanes, would not be abandoned unless Saddam allowed U.N. weapons inspectors back into his country.

The issue of the zones could be part of an overall agreementin which Baghdad made concessions on inspections, the newspaper said.

The Independent newspaper said the British Foreign Officehad signalled a relaxation of policy towards Iraq less than 24 hours before last Friday's Air strikes.

This development had intensified claims that British PrimeMinister Tony Blair was bounced by Washington into launching the Air strikes, the newspaper said.

Foreign Office Minister Brian Wilson outlined the newapproach on sanctions against Iraq when he issued a written parliamentary reply last Thursday, the Independent said.

It quoted government sources as saying they were examiningthe possibility of "smart" sanctions, which would be more precisely military in their scope.

U.N. economic sanctions were imposed against Iraq after its1990 invasion of Kuwait.

No immediate comment was available from the Britishgovernment on the reports.

British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said on Tuesday thatBritain and the United States would continue to "stand firm" against Saddam and his attempts to "bring death and suffering on the people of Iraq and its neighbours".

In an article in the Daily Telegraph, Cook rejectedaccusations that the sanctions policy was preventing the delivery of food and medicines to the Iraqi people.

He said no limit was put on the amount of oil that Iraqcould exchange for humanitarian goods -- yet Saddam had not ordered any medicines in the second half of last year.

"(Britain) is not prepared to appease a dictator withSaddam's record," Cook said.

"Unchecked, Iraq could redevelop offensive chemical andbiological capabilities, and develop a crude nuclear device in about five years."