On the political level, the sanctions have actually strengthened the Iraqi regime. On the military level, it is clear that the Iraqi military has not recovered from its devastating defeat during Desert Storm. But, he says, there is no question that Iraq has been qualitatively disarmed of WMDs. The persistence of economic sanctions now insures that international weapons inspections remain unacceptable to the Iraqi government. The oil for food program is now, and has been since its origins, insufficient to provide for the needs of the Iraqi population.
Food is available in the markets, but most families have no money.
The Iraqi oil infrastructure is simply too devastated since the bombings of 1991 and 1998, and the inability to buy needed repair equipment. Further, the restrictions imposed by the oil for food program further undermine Iraq's access to money for humanitarian purposes. Rather, it adjusts certain aspects of the sanctions regime, creates a new arms monitoring agency, encourages some investment, and forecasts the possibility of a temporary suspension of economic sanctions more than a year down the road. No oil company, accountable to its shareholders, will commit the kind of massive investment needed if it cannot be certain it will be able to repatriate its profits in the future. With the constant threat of eternal sanctions returning, those multi-billion dollar investments remain out of reach.