09/22/00

Boucher Calls French Flight to Iraq "A Blatant Violation" of Sanctions

(U.S. plans to raise matter in UNSC)

Following is the State Department text:
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
September 22, 2000

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

FRENCH AIRFLIGHT INTO BAGHDAD

At a time when Iraq continues to defy the UN sanctions regime -- and will not even allow a UN team to inspect the humanitarian conditions in Iraq -- France, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has allowed a flight to Iraq in blatant violation of UN sanctions resolutions.

The flight was done in clear defiance of the UN and its established procedures. We fail to understand why the French government, which has discussed this at the United Nations for some time, could not wait 12 hours to gain sanctions committee approval of the flight. We are raising this matter at the UN Security Council today.

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