Press Review [Archives:2000/36/Press Review]

Al-Ihya’a Al-Arabi
weekly, organ of the ABS Party, 28 August 2000
A column in it dealt with the question of civilian flight embargo on Iraq. The article affirms that Arab and non-Arab regimes neighboring Iraq have been applying more strictly the so-called resolutions of ”International legitimacy”. These states insist on not allowing flights to and fro Iraq in their air space, although they are quite aware of no existence of resolutions banning flights to Iraq. Indicators suggesting this fact are:
-Iraqi, Jordanian and Russian flights continued normally to and fro Iraq even after the declaration of ceasefire in 1991,
– the UN special commission confirms non-existence of a UN resolution preventing air flights to and fro Iraq, in its reply to Saudi authorities inquiry regarding their permission to Iraqi planes carrying Iraqi pilgrims to the holy places.
– following the Venezuelan president’s recent visit to Iraq a UN official confirmed that the council had not issued any resolution banning the going to Iraq.
-The Russian government has expressed actual readiness to begin its civil flights to Iraq. One has to take into consideration that Russia is a permanent member state of the UN security council.

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