The US plans to ask the UN to lift sanctions against Iraq in phases, gradually turning over parts of the economy to a new Iraqi authority, The New York Timesreported today.
Quoting Bush administration officials, the Timessaid the step-by-step approach was the latest US tactic to counter assertions by France, Russia and other Security Council members that they would oppose lifting sanctions without a broader role for the UN than envisaged by Washington.
Asked whether the Bush administration favored a phased end to international sanctions, one US official told Reuters he was not familiar with such a proposal.
"I don't know if we've decided how we would go about it (getting sanctions lifted)," the official said.
He added, "I just know the president wants to lift the sanctions." The Timesarticle said that in theory, France and Russia could veto the lifting of sanctions, possibly leading to a "messy situation" involving a slew of lawsuits.
"Nobody wants to have litigation on this," the article quoted one official as saying. "But the sanctions have to be modified or you can't have a reconstruction of Iraq."
Officials told the Timesthere had been a lot of discussion about the issue, with the administration now leaning toward having several UN resolutions and letting Iraqis build their economy in phases before getting full control of oil.
Last Wednesday the White House called on the United Nations to lift economic sanctions on Iraq that had prohibited countries from buying Iraqi oil or selling goods to Iraq other than through the UN oil-for-food program.
Some UN diplomats have insisted that sanctions imposed in 1990 should not be lifted against Iraq until the Security Council has certified that Iraq is free of weapons of mass destruction, the main reason cited by Washington for invading the country and toppling Saddam Hussein.
Chief UN weapons inspector Mr Hans Blix said this week that his experts could be back in Iraq within two weeks of a green light from the Security Council. The inspectors were pulled out of Iraq shortly before the war began on March 20th.
The Timesstory said there was consensus in the administration that Blix should be sent into retirement and that many US officials were angry over his performance during the inspections phase in Iraq.