July 15, 2000
Iraq's growing links with the outside world rather than a decision of the UN Security Council will sweep away the decade-old sanctions, Vice President Taha Yassin Ramadan said in a newspaper interview.
"Iraq is convinced that a lifting of the embargo will not come through a decision of the Security Council so long as it is dominated by the United States," he told Al-Jumhuriya, in an advance copy of the interview due to appear on Sunday. "Iraq does not trust the Security Council. We consider it to be a war council, to wage war mainly on countries of the Third World," said Ramadan.
He said the embargo, which has been in force since Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, would crumble thanks to "the firmness of the Iraqi people and support from the Arab masses". As "proof that the embargo is crumbling", he cited "the renewal of Iraq's diplomatic ties with several countries, the resumption of the activities of joint economic commissions, and growing participation" in the annual Baghdad trade fair.
