1. If, in the history books of other nations, too, President Clinton really wants to be remembered lastingly for much more than having presided over the United States' entry into next Millennium and how it fared then due to its handling of Y2K, i.e. the year 2000 computer bug (see: http://www.solami.com/Y2K.htm), he - as well as the candidates for his succession and, analoguously, his homologues in other countries - may want to take a particularly sharp look at current Mideastern policies. This involves notably the available options regarding the strategic oil reserves of the Caspian Sea litorals, the fresh water resources of the Euphrates Basin, and the common roots of the three One God religions. In all of this and beyond, the territory known as Iraq is seen to hold key positions. Moreover, properly developed and implemented policies on Iraq can be expected to play determinant roles eventually involving and favorably affecting developments in Iran, Israel, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Turkey and beyond. Related observations and ideas, particularly those recently offered by The Honorable Senator Bob Kerrey, are seen to go a long way in that direction (Kerrey's speech of 29 September 1999 is published on the Internet at: http://www.iraqfoundation.org/forum/Events/kerrey.html)
2. If the U.S. Iraq Liberation Act (ILA) is not to compound past errors but to make a constructive and lasting dent in the Mideastern landscape in general and in Northern Iraq in particular, care should be taken in the selection of the ones which are to be encouraged to take on a role of responsibility there. For if they are to be part of the solution - rather than of the problem, as has been the case so far - they should not only be recognizable and supportable by the Iraqi Diaspora and allies abroad but, above all, by the local communities in Iraq. Furthermore, it would be helpful if they could be seen to be less dependent on handouts by the powers that be, and to be more principled, than those who brought us those persistently failing policies. Or, for that matter, who are still involved in maintaining the humanitarian disaster thus inflicted (see: "A Pathway to Human Rights for Northern Iraq", at: http://www.solami.com/a32c~1.htm; see also: "Let My People Go!", at: http://www.solami.com/a33h.htm).
3. Ideas which, in the above sense, might be usefully
considered for prompt action and implementation include:
a) The minority and property rights written
into Iraq's constitutive Declaration of 30 May 1932 (see: http://www.solami.com/a3a~1.htm#obligations)
should be fully recognized and honored by the States concerned and the
involved UN bodies. Possibly in conjunction with corresponding resolutions
providing for the prompt and full lifting of all economic sanctions.
On condition, of course, and in as much as the latter are incompatible
with these international minority protection guarantees and property
rights. And only for those areas of the Iraqi territory where
these and subsequently adopted special rights and obligations of the peoples
concerned and of the United Nations can and will be effectively exercised
(see: "Are Protective Sanctions Appropriate in the case
of the Mosul Vilayet (Northern Iraq)?", memo, 27 August 1999,
at: http://www.solami.com/MVmem.htm;
"Way out of Iraq sanctions impasse?", 26 September 1999, at:
http://www.solami.com/UNSC.htm).
To be sure, these special rights and considerations should positively
no longer be ignored and even violated - as is still the case today - in
favor of the current Iraqi regime. And the UN should not be the prime
beneficiary from (if it is not indeed being kept afloat essentially
by) revenues generated from international sales of petroleum to which the
Government of Iraq has no valid title in international law, and which is
still owed by the "internationally protected" Arab, Assyrian, Kurdish
and Turkoman communities and landowners of Iraq (see internal United
Nations Memorandum: "LEAGUE OF NATIONS DOCUMENTS QUESTION IRAQ'S CLAIMS
AND OWNERSHIP OF PETROLEUM RESOURCES IN KURDISH AREA", at: http://www.solami.com/a3a~1.htm#OWNERSHIP;
also: "OIL-FOR-FOOD vs. ASSYRIAN PROPERTY RIGHTS IN IRAQ", at: http://www.solami.com/a32c~1.htm#oil-for-food;
http://www.solami.com/a33d~1.htm#Bush).
b) The observations and suggestions the former UN
High Commissioner for Refugees, Saddrudin Aga Khan, made on Iraq
in 1992, seem more valid then ever ("Humanitarian Relief Aid: Does it
Protect the Needy?", at: http://www.solami.com/Sorbonne.html).
The same applies to the leadership roles, as well as to the self-financed
de-mining projects, re-building plans and religious research proposed by
duly elected representatives of Iraq's Arab, Assyrian, Kurdish and Turkoman
communities
(at: http://www.solami.com/a32a~1.htm#Meeting;
http://www.solami.com/SLM.htm).
For related UN documents, see: "Protection of Minorities",E/CN.4/Sub.2/1992/NGO/27
(at: http://www.solami.com/a3b~1.htm),
"Proposed
Conflict Resolution Pathways for Iraq": E/CN.4/1994/NGO/48
(at: http://www.solami.com/a3b~1.htm#1994/NGO/48),
and "Human Rights Situation in Iraq and in the Mosul Vilayet", E/CN.4/1995/NGO/52
(at: http://www.solami.com/a3b~1.htm#E/CN.4/1995/NGO/52).
c) Already in 1994, these ideas,
suggestions and solutions had drawn publicly expressed and almost unanimous
support by most community, trade, education and political leaders residing
in the non-government-controlled Northern part of Iraq (see: http://www.solami.com/a31~2.htm#UNITY).
Since then, this support has spread over the entire local population.
In this light, these ideas, claims and projects deserve the priority
attention and support by all those interested in viable solutions for
promoting regional peace and security through a stable economic and political
development in Iraq, with due consideration to the cultural, religious
and political roots of its constituant peoples, as reflected in the still
fully valid Declaration of Iraq of 30 May 1932 (see: http://www.solami.com/a3a~1.htm#DECLARATION).
GOOD OFFICES GROUP OF EUROPEAN LAWMAKERS - CORUM
Anton Keller, Secretary - box 2580 - 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
t+f: +4122-7400362, mobile: +4179-6047707
e-mail: swissbit@solami.com - Internet: http://www.solami.com/a3home.htm
(this text is also - fully hyperlinked - on the Internet at: http://www.solami.com/nimrod.html)
see also: http://www.solami.com/PLATO.htm, http://www.solami.com/CERES.htm
7 October 1999 (rev.1)