LONDON,
April 7 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - As fierce battles are
still reported on all fronts in Iraq, British Trade and Industry
Secretary Patricia Hewitt suggested that French and Russian firms broke
United Nations sanctions on Iraq.
Asked
- in a BBC World Service interview Monday, April 7 - about possible
roles for France and Russia in the post-war reconstruction of Iraq,
Hewitt said: "That will clearly have to be discussed both within
the United Nations, as the role of the UN is made clear, and by the
interim administration and then subsequently by the new Iraqi
administration."
She
added: "I must say if I were an Iraqi minister in the new Iraqi
government, I think I would personally take a poor view of companies
that have been breaking UN sanctions and supporting Saddam's vile
regime.
"But
that is a matter for the Iraqi people to judge and a matter, also in
this interim period, for discussion with the UN," Hewitt added.
Meanwhile,
British Defense Secretary Geoff Hoon was asked Monday in parliament if
he had any evidence of recent breaking of sanctions by French or Russian
defense companies.
"I'm
not in the position to comment at this stage about possible breaches of
any sanctions. But certainly it is a matter that we continue to look at
carefully," Hoon replied, without giving further details.
Sanctions
were imposed on Iraq after its invasion of Kuwait in 1990. They were
partially lifted with the setting up of an oil-for-food program, but a
ban on arms imports continued.
Fischer
Hopes Regime Collapses
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"Saddam
Hussein is a terrible dictator who aggressed his neighbors,”
Fischer
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In
a separate related development, German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer
- along with French and Russian counterparts, made the peace camp - said
Monday he hopes Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's regime collapses
"as soon as possible" to prevent further losses of life.
"Saddam
Hussein is a terrible dictator who aggressed his neighbors, and Israel
during the first (1991) Gulf War, and gassed the Kurds," he told
Israeli public television on the first day of a visit to the Jewish
state.
"We
hope his regime will collapse a soon as possible to avoid losses of
innocent life," said Fischer, whose country refused to take part in
the U.S.-led Iraq invasion, over its alleged weapons of mass
destruction.
"After
the dispute, the situation will be normalized. Transatlantic relations
are vital for the Europeans and the Americans," he said, referring
to the split between Europe and Washington over the use of military
force.
Fischer’s
statements came as total contradiction to his previous situation
staunchly opposing Iraq invasion.
“I
can’t tell the public, let’s go to war because of reasons that I do
not believe in,” Fischer had said passionately, during the diplomatic
battle over attacking Iraq, forcing the U.S. to withdraw its war
resolution, before going ahead with its invasion plans, heading what it
termed as “coalition of the willing”.
On
Thursday, April 3, the U.S. House of Representatives (Congress) passed a
supplementary budget amendment excluding France, Germany, Russia and
Syria from taking part in U.S.-funded reconstruction bids in Iraq,
because they opposed the U.S.-led invasion.
