III

105TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 76

Enforcing the embargo on the export of oil from Iraq.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

FEBRUARY 12, 1998

Mr. MURKOWSKI submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was

referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Enforcing the embargo on the export of oil from Iraq.

Whereas hostilities in Operation Desert Storm ended on February 28, 1991, and the cease fire was codified in United

Nations Security Council Resolutions 686 (March 2,

1991) and 687 (April 3, 1991);

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 687 requires that international economic sanctions, including an

embargo on the sale of oil from Iraq, remain in place

until Iraq discloses and destroys its weapons of mass destruction programs and capabilities and undertakes unconditionally never to resume such activities;

Whereas Resolution 687 further established the United Nations Special Commission (UNSCOM) on Iraq to uncover

all aspects of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction program;
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SCON 76 IS

Whereas, despite the sustained opposition of the Government

of Iraq, UNSCOM has discovered many instances of inaccurate actions by Iraq concerning Iraqi ballistic missile

capabilities and chemical and biological programs;

Whereas Security Council Resolution 986 (April 14, 1995)

partially lifted international economic sanctions by allowing Iraq to sell $1 billion in oil every 90 days, the proceeds of which are designed, in part, for humanitarian

assistance to the people of Iraq;

Whereas a report by the Secretary General of the United Nations submitted on February 2, 1998 recommends further easing of economic sanctions by allowing Iraq to sell

$5.2 billion in oil every six months;

Whereas the United States has indicated it will support the

easing of further economic sanctions proposed by the UN

Secretary General;

Whereas revenues from oil exports have historically represented nearly all (95 percent) of Iraq’s foreign exchange earnings;

Whereas, in the year preceding hostilities in Operation Desert

Storm, Iraq’s export earnings totaled $10.4 billion;

Whereas Iraq, since the end of Operation Desert Storm, has

been steadily increasing exports of oil to Jordan from

60,000 to 80,000 barrels per day and in December 1997,

agreed to increase such shipments to approximately

96,000 barrels per day;

Whereas Iraq has been able to circumvent international economic sanctions by exporting oil to Turkey;

Whereas the Multinational Interdiction Force that conducts

maritime searches in the Persian Gulf has reported that

exports of contraband Iraqi oil through the Gulf have in-
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creased seven-fold in the past year, from $10 million in

diesel fuel sales in 1996 to $75 million in 1997; and

Whereas Iraq’s military capabilities, including its capacity to

produce weapons of mass destruction, are significantly

enhanced by its ability to earn foreign exchange primarily

from oil exports: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives

2 concurring), That Congress—

3 (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms

4 the continued threat to international peace and secu5 rity posed by Iraq’s refusal to meet its international

6 obligations and end its weapons of mass destruction

7 programs;

8 (2) urges the administration to oppose any fur9 ther weakening of economic sanctions including ex10 tension of, or expansion of, United Nations Security

11 Council Resolution 986;

12 (3) urges the President to propose to the

13 United Nations Security Council measures to signifi14 cantly tighten the international embargo on the sale

15 of oil from Iraq, including efforts to strengthen the

16 Multilateral Interdiction Force and inspection oper17 ations near the Port of Basra;

18 (4) urges the President to enter into negotia19 tions with oil producing nations in the Gulf to en-
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1 courage them to make subsidized sales of oil to Jor2 dan; and

3 (5) urges the President to submit a report to

4 Congress 30 days before the United Nations is au5 thorized to consider renewing Iraq’s authority to ex6 port oil setting forth a detailed accounting for the

7 disposition of the proceeds of United Nations au8 thorized sales of oil from Iraq.

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