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100206
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FM UKMIS NEW YORK
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1036
OF 200001Z AUGUST 90
MDHIAN 4052
HKB 020126
RECEIVED IN 90
24 AUG 1990
INFO IMMEDIATE WASHINGTON, PARIS, MOSCOW, PEKING, UKDEL NATO
1.
MY TELNOS 1033 AND 1034 : IRAQ/KUWAIT : NEXT STEPS
SUMMARY
1. DISCUSSION AMONG COUNSELLORS OF THE FIVE LEAVES A NUMBER OF POINTS UNRESOLVED. RUSSIANS APPEAR TO WANT A GRADUATED APPROACH TO THE USE OF FORCE TO MAKE SANCTIONS EFFECTIVE.
DETAIL
2. COUNSELLORS OF THE FIVE MET ON THE AFTERNOON OF 19 AUGUST TO DISCUSS THE TEXTS IN YOUR TELNO 458 AND MY TELNO 1034. A COMPROMISE TEXT EMERGED (SEE MIFT). SEVERAL KEY POINTS WERE LEFT IN BRACKETS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE MEETING OF AMBASSADORS OF THE FIVE ON 20 AUGUST. THE ESSENTIAL DIFFERENCE WAS BETWEEN THE AMERICANS, FRENCH AND OURSELVES ON THE ONE HAND AND THE RUSSIANS ON THE OTHER. WHILE THE WESTERN MEMBERS OF THE FIVE WERE PREPARED TO ACCEPT THE USE OF FORCE AGAINST SHIPS BELIEVED TO BE BREACHING SANCTIONS, THE RUSSIANS ARGUED FOR A MORE GRADUATED APPROACH WHICH WOULD FOCUS ON THE VERIFICATION OF CARGOES IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.
3. THE FRENCH, RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS THOUGHT IT WAS NECESSARY TO INCLUDE PREAMBULAR PARAGRAPHS REFERRING TO CHAPTER VII OF THE CHARTER AND TO THE FACT THAT IRAQ WAS ATTEMTPING TO BREACH THE SANCTIONS. WITHOUT THE LATTER IT WOULD NOT BE CLEAR WHY A NEW RESOLUTION WAS BEING INTRODUCED. WE DID NOT THINK THESE PROPOSALS WOULD PRESENT SERIOUS DIFFICULTIES.
4. THE AMERICANS WERE KEEN TO RETAIN OPERATIVE PARA 1 OF THEIR TEXT. WE, THE RUSSIANS AND THE FRENCH POINTED OUT THAT THIS WAS TO0 SWEEPING AND WAS MOST UNLIKELY TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE MAJORITY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS. IT THEREFORE APPEARS IN BRACKETS IN THE COMPROMISE
TEXT.
5. OPERATIVE PARAGRAPH 1 OF OUR WORKING PAPER WAS OPPOSED BY THE FRENCH, RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS, WHO THOUGHT IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE. MY LEGAL ADVISER HAS COMMENTED THAT A PROVISION OF THIS SORT MIGHT POSSIBLY BE APPROPRIATE IN A FURTHER RESOLUTION FOLLOWING UP SCR
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