| One thing that sucks about the media is they never actually
give us any facts any more, only opinions (this is really CNN's fault, they
started the Talking Opinionated Head phenomenon).
So I decided to look for myself, because mainly I got curious as to who in
the UN Security Council signed what, and who, if anyone, abstained. I found
this
to be a rather-good source for research on the resolutions themselves. Finding
the voting proved much, much harder, as the UN's website has an awful layout
and the voting search is poorly implemented:
*UN
Resolution 687*
This is what appears to be the primary initial resolution, to restore the
state of Kuwait, in conjunction with
Resolution
686...
*686 highlights*
3. Further demands that Iraq:
(a) Cease hostile or provocative actions by its forces against all Member
States including missile attacks and flights of combat aircraft;
(d) Provide all information and assistance in identifying Iraqi mines, booby
traps and other explosives as well as any chemical and biological weapons
and material in Kuwait, in areas of Iraq where forces of Member States
cooperating with Kuwait pursuant to resolution 678 (1990) are present
temporarily, and in adjacent waters;
Resolution
686 Voting
Members who voted For: Austria, Belgium, Cote D'iviore (don't ask,
I don't know), Ecuador, France, United Kingdom, Romania, USSR, United States,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zimbabwe.
Members who voted Against: Cuba
Members who Abstained: China, India, Yemen.
*687 highlights*
7. Invites Iraq to reaffirm unconditionally its obligations under the Geneva
Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous
or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva
on 17 June 1925, and to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and
Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, of 10 April 1972;
8. Decides that Iraq shall unconditionally accept the destruction, removal,
or rendering harmless, under international supervision, of: (a) All chemical
and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems
and components and all research, development, support and manufacturing
facilities; (b) All ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres
and related major parts, and repair and production facilities;
10. Decides that Iraq shall unconditionally undertake not to use, develop,
construct or acquire any of the items specified in paragraphs 8 and 9 above
and requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the Special Commission,
to develop a plan for the future ongoing monitoring and verification of Iraq's
compliance with this paragraph, to be submitted to the Security Council for
approval within one hundred and twenty days of the passage of this resolution;
11. Invites Iraq to reaffirm unconditionally its obligations under the Treaty
on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 1 July 1968;
33. Declares that, upon official notification by Iraq to the Secretary-General
and to the Security Council of its acceptance of the provisions above, a
formal cease-fire is effective between Iraq and Kuwait and the Member States
cooperating with Kuwait in accordance with resolution 678 (1990);
Resolution
687 Voting
Members who voted For: Romaina, Austria, Belgium, India, Zimbabwe,
Cote D'ivoire, China, France, United Kingdom, USSR, United States, Democratic
Republic of the Congo
Members who voted Against: Cuba
Members who Abstained: Ecuador, Yemen.
Examples of further resolutions:
*UN
Resolution 707*
7. Invites Iraq to reaffirm unconditionally its obligations under the Geneva
Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous
or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, signed at Geneva
on 17 June 1925, and to ratify the Convention on the Prohibition of the
Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and
Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, of 10 April 1972;
8. Decides that Iraq shall unconditionally accept the destruction, removal,
or rendering harmless, under international supervision, of: (a) All chemical
and biological weapons and all stocks of agents and all related subsystems
and components and all research, development, support and manufacturing
facilities; (b) All ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometres
and related major parts, and repair and production facilities;
*UN
Resolution 715*
5. Demands that Iraq meet unconditionally all its obligations under the plans
approved by the present resolution and cooperate fully with the Special
Commission and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
in carrying out the plans;
7. Requests the Committee established under resolution 661 (1990), the Special
Commission and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
to develop in cooperation a mechanism for monitoring any future sales or
supplies by other countries to Iraq of items relevant to the implementation
of section C of resolution 687 (1991) and other relevant resolutions, including
the present resolution and the plans approved hereunder;
...And most-recently:
*UN
Resolution 1441*
1. Decides that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of its obligations
under relevant resolutions, including resolution 687 (1991), in particular
through Iraq's failure to cooperate with United Nations inspectors and the
IAEA, and to complete the actions required under paragraphs 8 to 13 of resolution
687 (1991);
2. Decides, while acknowledging paragraph 1 above, to afford Iraq, by this
resolution, a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations
under relevant resolutions of the council; and accordingly decides to set
up an enhanced inspection regime with the aim of bringing to full and verified
completion the disarmament process established by resolution 687 (1991) and
subsequent resolutions of the council;
3. Decides that, in order to begin to comply with its disarmament obligations,
in addition to submitting the required biannual declarations, the government
of Iraq shall provide to UNMOVIC, the IAEA, and the council, not later than
30 days from the date of this resolution, a currently accurate, full, and
complete declaration of all aspects of its programs to develop chemical,
biological, and nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and other delivery systems
such as unmanned aerial vehicles and dispersal systems designed for use on
aircraft, including any holdings and precise locations of such weapons,
components, sub-components, stocks of agents, and related material and equipment,
the locations and work of its research, development and production facilities,
as well as all other chemical, biological, and nuclear programs, including
any which it claims are for purposes not related to weapon production or
material;
4. Decides that false statements or omissions in the declarations submitted
by Iraq pursuant to this resolution and failure by Iraq at any time to comply
with, and cooperate fully in the implementation of, this resolution shall
constitute a further material breach of Iraq's obligations and will be reported
to the council for assessment in accordance with paragraph 11 and 12 below;
Resolution
1441 Voting
Unanimously Voted For by voting members: Bulgaria, Cameroon, China,
Columbia, France, Guinea, Ireland, Mauritius (?!), Mexico, Norway, Russian
Federation, Singapore, Syria, United Kingdom, United States.
----------
Anyhow, these are the key points of contention right now between UN member
states. It is also curious that even in Resolution 1441 it is still referred
to as the "Iraq-Kuwait situation"(???)....
Of course I'm not going to post everything here in regards to it, there's
much more -- by my count the UN has passed no less than 55 resolutions since
August of 1990 in regards to Iraq (ack!). You can search for voting results
on the UN Security Council's site, and search by date for resolutions through
the link near the top of this.
-- Rik A. Kyser. |
