Bush to demand U.N. lift Iraq sanctions in phases to avoid fight with anti-war trio

WASHINGTON, April 19 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – U.S. President George W. Bush will ask the United Nations to lift economic sanctions against Iraq in phases, leaving the U.N. in charge of Iraqi oil sales ‘for now’, a U.S. leading newspaper reported Saturday, April 19. demand

Instead of a single Security Council resolution to lift sanctions, Washington will seek three or four resolutions over several months, The New York Times reported, citing administration officials who requested anonymity.

However, some Bush administration officials fear that if the Security Council vetoed the lifting of sanctions, it would open the way for lawsuits arguing that sales of Iraqi oil not sanctioned by the United Nations violate international law.

"Nobody wants to have litigation on this," the Times quoted an administration official as saying.

"For a while there was a lot of talk about one omnibus Security Council resolution on Iraq ," a senior administration official told the Times.

"We're now thinking in terms of several resolutions and letting Iraqis build their economy in phases before they get full control of the oil."

Some Bush administration officials want to see parts of the oil-for-food program turned over to Iraqis, but others argue that it is too soon, the daily said.

"This is big league stuff," an administration official said of the program, in which oil is sold and the proceeds are used to buy medicine and food for Iraqis.

"It's complex international economics, with a big portfolio in place. It's good to have Iraqis run it, but that may take time. It makes sense to leave the current structure in place. You can't predict how long."

Avoiding Fight With Anti-War Trio

The new Bush’s suggestion, in effect, might also avoid a fight with France , Russia and others who might oppose turning Iraq 's oil industry over to a new Iraqi government seen as appointed by Washington .

But other parts of the economy could be turned over to the Iraqis without a “fight in the UN”, including imports of goods and services for agriculture and the civil service, administration officials said.

Bush on Wednesday called on the United Nations to lift economic sanctions on Iraq now that Saddam Hussein's regime has "passed into history."

Bush also called on the United Nations to end the UN-administered oil-for-food program, which since 1996 has enabled Iraq to export limited amounts of oil and use the revenues to buy basic humanitarian supplies.

Moscow said it would oppose the proposal until UN inspectors confirm the country has no weapons of mass destruction.

French President Jacques Chirac has insisted that the United Nations should be the one to decide how and when the sanctions should be lifted.

One of the most contentious issues, expected to surface next week, is deciding the next phase of the multibillion dollar Oil for Food Program, in which oil is sold and the proceeds used for medicine and food for Iraqis. At present, the program distributes at least some food to 90 percent of Iraqis.

Anti-war trio, France, Russia and Germany , insisted that the UN should be at the heart of rebuilding post-war Iraq .