Voice of America report, Dec. 18, 1999:
Iraq has strongly condemned a United Nations resolution designed to send weapons inspectors back into Iraq in exchange for the suspension of U.N. sanctions… The U.N. resolution [1284] offers Iraq renewable, four-month long suspensions of the sanctions that have been in place since the Gulf War. This, in return for Iraq’s extended cooperation with a new group of weapons inspectors… The government in Baghdad has refused to admit arms inspectors since last December, when the United States and Britain launched air strikes against Iraq… Eleven members of the Security Council voted for the resolution, with Russia, China, France and Malaysia abstaining… [Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq] Aziz said he appreciated the abstentions, but would have been happier had they been vetoes. [He] said Iraq is ready to face the consequences of rejecting the new resolution.
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