The United Nations UN Iraq-Kuwait Observation Mission (UNIKOM), which is carrying out its tasks smoothly, is contributing to calm along the border and should be maintained, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report on Monday.
In his report to the Security Council, Annan said that over the past six months, the situation along the border has generally remained quiet.
“However, during that period, the mission reported 267 violations of the demilitarized zone. That figure included 143 air violations, up from six during the previous reporting period,” said the report as published on the UN’s website.
“Most of the air violations involved aircraft that were heard or observed but too high to be identified,” said Annan.
The Iraqi government has repeatedly asked the UN to condemn the violations of its borders by US and British planes originating from Kuwait which oversee the no-fly zones in the south of the country.
The report states that a Gazelle helicopter was observed on three separate occasions, a Lynx-type helicopter with British colors once, an F-18 jet twice, and a pair of F-14 jets once.
Noting continuing cooperation from both sides, Annan said that the Iraqi authorities "feel that UNIKOM should be reporting a higher number of violations and should identify aircraft by type and nationality."
UNIKOM has explained to the Iraqi authorities that it cannot rely on inference or supposition in reporting air violations, and that the mission does not have the technical and intelligence capacity required for a positive identification, according to the report.
"In any case, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America have made it clear that they continue to patrol a 'no-fly-zone' in southern Iraq," Annan added.
According to the report, UNIKOM continued to facilitate the humanitarian activities of the International Committee of the Red Cross during the past six months. The Mission also evacuated a number of Iraqi civilians injured by mine explosions. In addition, UNIKOM maintained close and regular liaison with the authorities of both Iraq and Kuwait at various levels.
AFP said that the Security Council will examine the report on Wednesday.
Within the same context, The Associated Press reported that UN chief weapons inspector for Iraq, Hans Blix, will meet top US officials for the first time this week.
He is scheduled to hold talks with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice on Tuesday afternoon, and Secretary of State Colin Powell on Wednesday morning, said the AP, citing UN officials.
“The United States is reviewing its policy toward Iraq and Blix hopes to get a briefing on President George W. Bush's thinking,” said Ewen Buchanan, spokesman for the UN Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission, which Blix heads.
Blix also plans to update US officials on the commission's preparations to resume weapons inspections, he said.
"This is part of his consultations with leading members of the UN Security Council," Buchanan said. "He's already been to Beijing, Moscow, London and Paris."
Under council resolutions, sanctions imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait cannot be lifted until UN inspectors certify that the country's nuclear, chemical and biological weapons have been destroyed.
Inspectors left Iraq in December 1998, just ahead of allied airstrikes launched to punish Iraq for blocking inspections, and Iraq has barred them from returning.
Powell has proposed a revision of UN economic sanctions against Iraq to permit more consumer goods to reach Iraqi civilians while trying to deny President Saddam Hussein weapons’ material – Albawaba.com
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