TNAG-2029-FCO40-2891-Hong-Kong-freezing-of-Kuwaiti-and-Iraqi-assets-1990 — Page 192

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BUT WE TOO HAD BEEN STRUCK BY STATEMENTS OF IRAQI LEADERS SUGGESTING

THAT THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL FOOD RESERVES: THAT A GOOD HARVEST WAS IN PROSPECT: AND THAT THE ARMY SHOULD HAVE PRIORITY IN ACCESS TO FOODSTUFFS. I AGREED WITH PICKERING THAT WE SHOULD MAKE GOOD USE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN MAKING JUDGEMENTS ON IRAQI NEEDS. WE HAD TO FIND A PROPER INTERPRETATION OF THE REFERENCE TO HUMANITARIAN CIRCUMSTANCES IN SCR 661.

5. LI (CHINA) SAID HIS INSTRUCTIONS WERE THAT THE IRAQI PEOPLE HAD THE RIGHT TO SUFFICIENT FOOD AND MEDICINE. VORONTSOV (SOVIET UNION) AGREED: CONSIDERATION ALSO HAD TO BE GIVEN TO THE NEEDS OF OUR OWN NATIONALS AND OTHER FOREIGN NATIONALS TRAPPED IN IRAQ.

6.

TURNING TO JORDAN, I SAID THAT THIS RAISED DIFFICULT ISSUES. AT THE MEETING OF THE SANCTIONS COMMITTEE ON 28 AUGUST WE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY THE LACK OF SYMPATHY FOR JORDAN DISPLAYED BY SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY THE AFRICANS. WE SHOULD DISTINGUISH BETWEEN A POSSIBLE SHORT-TERM PACKAGE OF ASSISTANCE TO JORDAN OUTSIDE ARTICLE 50 OF THE UN CHARTER AND LONGER-TERM HELP UNDER ARTICLE 50 WHICH WOULD NEED SUPPORT OF ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS. IF WE WERE TO MOVE TOO QUICKLY DOWN THE ARTICLE 50 ROAD, WE MIGHT NOT GET THE SUPPORT WE WOULD EXPECT.

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PICKERING SAID THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THE PROBLEMS BEING BROUGHT TO THE SANCTIONS COMMITTEE BY THOSE SEEKING SPECIAL TREATMENT RELATED TO THE EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN THE PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF OIL PRODUCTS. WE SHOULD AIM TO DEAL ON AN BASIS WITH SUCH CASES UNDER ARTICLE 49 RATHER THAN ARTICLE 50. MAXIMUM USE SHOULD ALSO BE MADE OF ANY OPEC DECISION TO BOOST OIL PRODUCTION. THIS WOULD ENABLE US TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WE HAD TAKEN ACTION TO TACKLE THE MAIN CAUSE OF DIFFICULTY. THERE REMAINED HOWEVER INDIVIDUAL CASES. JORDAN WAS IN A UNIQUE GEO-POLITICAL POSITION. IT DID NEED SPECIAL CONSIDERATION, AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO COMPLY WITH SANCTIONS.

8. VORONTSOV SUGGESTED THAT JORDAN SHOULD BE LOOKED AT NOT AS A UNIQUE CASE BUT AS A PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT ASPECT OF THE BROADER PROBLEM. BLANC CONCLUDED THAT JORDAN DESERVED SPECIAL ATTENTION FOR GEO-POLITICAL AND HUMANITARIAN REASONS. THIS WAS GENERALLY AGREED.

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