On May 14, 2002, the UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted Resolution 1409, the most significant overhaul of economic sanctions since Resolution 1284 lifted the cap on Iraqi oil sales in December 1998.

 Resolution 1409 establishes a unified ‘Goods Review List’ (GRL) -a 332-page checklist -intended to block military goods, control the transfer of dual-use technology, and facilitate a freer flow of consumer goods to Iraq’s isolated population. 

Prior to Resolution 1409, there were "green lists" and the "1051 list". If an item appeared on a "green list", it was automatically approved. If an item appeared on a "1051 list", the contract was subject to a technical review by The United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a more politicized review by the 661 Sanctions Committee. And if an item neither appeared on the "green lists" nor the "1051 list", the entire contract had to be reviewed by the 661 Sanctions Committee.

Notorious for blocking contracts that include "1051" items, U.S. officials often claim that, without having weapons inspectors in Iraq, there is no way to monitor end use to ensure that dual-use goods are used for civilian purposes. If the same logic is applied to the GRL, then the problem of blocked contracts will continue. The resolution continues the status quo, while being presented as an innovation.

Resolution 1409 does not allow foreign investment or loosen any controls on Iraq’s civilian economy, nor give Iraq any opportunity to rebuild its destroyed economy. Thus, "streamlined" sanctions fail to directly address why Iraq is poor.

On May 15th, representatives from a Voices in the Wilderness delegation met with Tun Myat, the UN Humanitarian coordinator in Iraq. Myat told them that he believes "no matter how much you try and modify [the existing program], it is not designed for - and it will never be - a substitute for normal economic activity."

Quaker Delegation to Visit Campaign of Conscience Project Sites

The third delegation of the Veterans for Peace Iraq Water Project (IWP), has returned from Iraq where they broke ground for the rebuilding of the Hai Al-Risalah water treatment plant in the city of Falooja and Mansouria Al-Shatt plant in the city of Baaqooba. This will bring to six, the number of water treatment plants in Iraq that Veterans for Peace in conjunction with their partner organization Life for Relief and Development has rebuilt.

Besides bringing clean water to the Iraqi people, the delegation traveled with the purpose of expressing its opposition to the economic sanctions of Iraq which have, according to UNICEF, been responsible for the death of 5,000 children under the age of 5 years, each month since the end of the Gulf War. Many of these deaths are directly attributable to the lack of clean water.

On May 22nd, sixteen Americans will journey to Iraq to begin a six day walk across the desert to dramatize the need for the US and the international community to 'go the extra mile' in averting the all-out war threatened by the Bush Administration." The 23 million people of Iraq have suffered cruelly for a dozen years under US bombing and sanctions.  It is time to end this failed policy, not to start a new war," says Dr. James. E. Jennings of the Compassion Iraq Coalition, which is organizing the Walk for Peace.  "Washington readily spends millions on defense, but not one cent for diplomacy.  Why not talk?"

The Walk begins May 24th when the delegation will cross the desert into Iraq at the Jordanian border carrying signs calling for an end to the sanctions. For the next six days they will walk from the Euphrates River to Baghdad, stopping to meet and talk with people in the towns of Rutba, Ramadi and Falluja.  Each walker has received pledges for every mile walked, with proceeds going to the Pediatric Oncology ward at the Basra Children's Hospital. 

Laurel Severns from AFSC's Chicago office, Hossein Alizedeh from the Fellowship of Reconciliation in Seattle, and Jeff Gunzel from Voices in the Wilderness plan to attend the National Network Meeting and would love company from campaign supporters on the West Coast. The meeting will discuss next steps for the movement, which includes the Campaign of Conscience and the Peace Pledge.

The previous gatherings in Ann Arbor and Denver were unique opportunities to meet with other organizations and individuals working to end the sanctions.

Iraqi Minister of Finance Ibrahim al-Azzawi slammed the United States and Britain for holding up Iraq's humanitarian contracts under the United Nations oil-for-food program, adding that a total of 2,590 contracts, with a value of 7.98 billion U.S. dollars, were suspended by the United States and Britain. (Xinhuanet, May 15)

The opposition Iraqi National Congress (INC) issued a statement on 15 May welcoming the news that the Security Council had reached agreement on sanctions reform. The INC spokesman commented: "The INC welcomes this reform of the sanctions regime to ease the flow of humanitarian goods into Iraq. It will demonstrate once and for all that only Saddam Hussein is to blame for the continued suffering of the Iraqi people… This suffering will only [end] with the removal of Saddam Hussein from power at the earliest opportunity." (Radio Free Europe IRAQ REPORT, May 18, 2002)

The Iraqi government has reluctantly acquiesced to the UN's largest overhaul of a sanctions regime that renews its oil-for-food deal for another six months. In a statement released to the official Iraqi News Agency, the Iraqi leadership described the revamped UN sanctions as US manipulation of the Security Council. (CHANNELNEWSASIA May 17, 2002)

The Russian government is happy with that Iraqi authorities have agreed with the provisions of the UN Security Council Resolution 1409, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman says…." At the same time, "corrections of the UN humanitarian program stated in Resolution 1409 do not change the essence of our perception of the mechanism." Moscow views it as "temporary," "not meant to become a full-scale alternative to Iraqi social and economic development which will only be possible after the existing sanctions against the country are lifted on the conditions envisaged by the respective resolutions of the UN Security Council," the Russian Foreign Ministry claims. (ITAR-TASS, May 17)

According to a UN spokesman, the third round of talks between Iraq and the United Nations on the return of U.N. arms inspectors is expected in early July. Diplomatic sources said the discussions between U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri probably would take place between July 1 and July 5 in Vienna rather than New York. (Reuters, May 20, 2002)

Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohammed Aldouri told Reuters on Friday that his country could accept the return of inspectors "in principle." But he said Baghdad first wanted a response from Washington on several issues, including the "horizon of the lifting of (U.N.) sanctions" against Iraq. "Our position is we are not against the return of inspectors in principle, but this needs some requirements and some positive answers from the international community." (Reuters, May 20, 2002)

U.S. Deputy Ambassador James Cunningham told a group of reporters that Iraq is "seriously thinking" about allowing inspectors to return, adding that "As long as the secretary-general and his people ... think there's a chance of bringing the Iraqis to that point for whatever reason, we think it's a useful thing to do." (AL-BAWABA NEWS May 16, 2002)

The head of the UN Monitoring and Verification Commission (UNMOVIC), Hans Blix, announced that his commission had not yet received a "green light" to deploy inspectors in Iraq. Responding to whether the Iraqis have been asking for guarantees that there will be no military attack against Iraq if Baghdad allows inspections to resume, Blix said that the Iraqis realize that the UN Secretary-General cannot provide such guarantees. He added that it would be difficult to convince Iraqis to accept inspections "as long as there is a threat of an invasion or aggression." (Radio Free Europe IRAQ REPORT, May 18, 2002)

President Bush will try to shore up support from German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in his alliance against Iraq during his visit to Berlin this week, a top White House official said. Condoleezza Rice, U.S. national security adviser, said in an interview with German television: "Sooner or later the free world will have to deal with this terrible threat…. and that is the problem of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of really horrible regimes." (Reuters, May 20, 2002)

U.S. warplanes once again attacked an Iraqi air-defense radar in response to threats against American and British jets policing a "no-fly" zone in southern Iraq, the Pentagon said. Iraq does not recognize the no-fly zones. (Reuters, Monday 20, 2002)

Iraq urged United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan to halt U.S.-British warplanes' violation of Iraqi airspace. In a letter to Annan, Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri demanded that Annan and the U.N. Security Council "live up to its responsibilities and stop this aggression." U.S.-British warplanes made a total of 457 armed sorties from April 6 to May 3, Sabri said. (Xinhuanet, May 17, 2002)

Iraqi soldiers and tanks are massing on the border of Kurdistan in a warning to Kurdish leaders not to ally themselves with America against President Saddam Hussein. The Iraqi leader also sent a high-level delegation to Kurdistan, the three provinces in northern Iraq that enjoy de facto independence, to express dismay at talks the Kurds held with the CIA in the United States. The leaders of the two main Kurdish parties had been flown to meet the CIA in Virginia because the agency wanted to establish two full-time missions with their headquarters in Kurdistan to co-ordinate action against Iraq. But the price the Kurds demanded was a guarantee that America would promise to defend them from retaliation by the Iraqi armed forces. The CIA was unable to give the guarantee, says The Washington Post. The Kurds refused to allow the bases, but their consideration of such a move appears to have made President Saddam nervous. (The Independent, May 15, 2002)

The London-based "Iraq Press" reported on 13 May that the Iraqi authorities have called up a new batch of reservists to join the armed forces amid large-scale preparations to confront a possible U.S. military strike. The call, issued last week, is said to involve tens of thousands of reservists, including commissioned and noncommissioned officers. (Radio Free Europe IRAQ REPORT, May 18, 2002)

Jordan's King Abdullah II said that if the U.S. takes any military action against Iraq when the Israelis and Palestinians are still locked in a crisis, it would create serious instability in the Middle East region. Abdullah said that such a U.S. move "would really create massive disturbances throughout all Arab countries." (Xinhuanet, May 12)

The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Iraq entitled "The situation in Iraq, eleven years after the Gulf War" with a large majority vote in favor. The report proposes the creation of an ad hoc International Tribunal to judge Iraqi leaders. The resolution goes on to ask the European Union to:

To find out more about the Campaign of Conscience and how you can help our Iraqi brothers and sisters, feel free to contact us: Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation, 225 North 70th Street, Seattle, Washington 98103, Phone (206) 789-5565