10.3 |
Reconstruction: oil, commercial interests, debt relief, asylum and
stabilisation policy
278.
Mr Brenton
spoke to Mr Bellinger and others about the draft the following
day, and
highlighted
UK concerns on a number of issues including the move from
“monitoring” to
279.
The next US
draft of a post-conflict resolution was sent to Mr Rycroft and
Sir David
Manning on
6 May.143
Text
relating to the operation of the Iraqi Assistance Fund
was
unchanged.
280.
Later that
day, Mr Straw chaired a video conference with Dr Rice,
Secretary
Powell,
Sir Jeremy Greenstock and others to discuss the
draft.144
281.
During the
video conference, it was agreed that the draft should include
reference
to
monitoring, as well as auditing, oil sales.
282.
The Annotated
Agenda for the 15 May meeting of the AHMGIR stated that
initial
discussions
on a draft resolution in the Security Council had been as positive
as could
be
expected.145
Concerns
had focused on a need for clarity in three areas:
•
the extent
of the UN role;
•
the
political process, in particular the exact nature of the IIA;
and
•
arrangements
for oversight of oil sales and disbursement of oil revenue, as
well
as the fate
of existing contracts under the OFF programme.
283.
The Annotated
Agenda also stated that the US wanted the resolution adopted
by
22 May, as
this was the date by which they wished to start exporting oil to
avoid a lack
of storage
capacity affecting production and the local supply of gas and
petrol.
284.
Mr Blair
and President Bush spoke on 16 May.146
Action in the
UN seemed to be
going well
and Mr Blair proposed two areas (a UN “Special Representative”
rather than
“Special
Co-ordinator” and greater transparency of oil sales) in which the
resolution
might be
amended if tactically necessary.
285.
Resolution
1483 (2003) was adopted on 22 May.147
The
resolution:
•
lifted all
sanctions on Iraq except those related to arms;
•
noted the
establishment of the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), which
would
be audited
by independent public accountants approved by the
International
Advisory
and Monitoring Board (IAMB);
142
Telegram
589 Washington to FCO London, 5 May 2003, ‘Iraq: Draft
UNSCR’.
143
Minute
Bellinger to Rycroft and Manning, 6 May 2003, ‘Revised Draft:
UNSCR’ attaching Paper,
[undated],
‘Resolution on Post-Conflict Iraq’.
144
Letter
Cannon to McDonald, 6 May 2003, ‘Iraq/UN: Video-Conference with
Condi Rice and
Colin
Powell, 6 May’.
145
Annotated
Agenda, 15 May 2003, Ad Hoc Group on Iraq Rehabilitation
meeting.
146
Letter
Cannon to McDonald, 16 May 2003, ‘Iraq: Prime Minister’s
Conversation with Bush, 16 May’.
147
UN, Press
Release SC/7765, 22 May 2003, Security
Council lifts sanctions on Iraq, approves UN role,
calls for
appointment of Secretary-General’s Special
Representative.
415