France balks at US control of Iraqi oil revenue

NEW YORK - France set conditions for lifting United Nations sanctions against Iraq as Security Council members began to dissect a United States-drafted resolution that would allow Washington broad control over Iraq's oil industry.

All 15 ambassadors on the Security Council will discuss the document, introduced last Saturday, tomorrow.

Junior diplomats, experts on the Middle East, asked questions yesterday at a meeting that reflected misgivings by China, France, Germany, Mexico and Syria in giving the US and Britain carte blanche on post-war Iraq, participants said.

Under the resolution, all sanctions imposed 12 years ago would be lifted except for an arms embargo. Iraq's oil revenues, now under UN control, would be turned over to a Iraqi Assistance Fund, whose monies "shall be disbursed at the direction" of the US and Britain for reconstruction and humanitarian purposes.

In Paris, Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin laid out a series of changes France wanted in the resolution, although it was not clear how far he would go to see them fulfilled.

On oil revenues, Villepin said the UN and other international institutions would have to play more than the advisory role foreseen in the resolution.

"We have to establish rules for sharing oil revenues and ensuring management is placed under international and uncontested control."

The US text appears to relegate the UN to a supportive role.

But US and British diplomats say that once a UN representative appears in Iraq, his or her role would be more closely defined, which would help give it power.

Villepin said provisions in the text referring to the UN envoy were "too vague and too timid".

"At the end of an initial phase of making the country safe, the UN progressively should take responsibility for the political transition ... as was the case in Afghanistan, Kosovo and also Bosnia."

- REUTERS


Herald Feature: Iraq