For years we have been stressing that the international sanctions against Iraq are not
   really dealing any serious blow to the Saddam Hussein administration and that they are
   actually punishing the people of the country. Thus we have advocated the lifting of
   sanctions.

   The Americans, on the other hand, have been insistent in maintaining sanctions and
   have refused to budge on the issue. However, we see clearly now that time has worked
   against sanctions, and the United States is gradually being left alone in advocating
   sanctions.

   We had some hopes that while the current administration refused to mellow, the new
   American president might offer a new approach to the issue. But after listening to the
   latest debate between Al Gore and George Bush we realized that the two leaders, at
   least for the time being, are not at all prepared to soften the American approach
   towards Iraqi sanctions. On the contrary they both seem to advocate the continuation of
   a tough stance against Baghdad, and Bush offers an even tougher position.

   However, developments show that there will be little international backing for any tough
   action against Saddam and Iraq. It is clear that the U.S. presidential hopefuls do not
   have the time or the energy to really concentrate on Iraq properly and prepare a viable
   stance on Iraq in the post-Clinton period. However, we feel it is time for U.S. planners to
   see this and prepare contingency plans for the new president to change U.S. policy on
   Iraq.

   The presidential candidates are still talking about helping the Iraqi opposition to depose
   Saddam. They seem to miss the fact that there is no serious opposition to Saddam
   either inside or outside Iraq. The only two meaningful opposition forces that might have
   any impact on Saddam's forces are the Kurdistan Democracy Party (KDP) of Massoud
   Barzani and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Jalal Talabani, and these two
   have no intention of even challenging the regime, let alone launching a meaningful
   offensive against it.

   The two receive their funds from Iraq in the form of oil products that are sold abroad and
   thus need serious monetary incentives from the United States to lift a finger against
   Saddam.

   Meanwhile, Iraq has made serious headway in courting U.N. Security Council
   permanent members Russia, China and France, thus leaving the United States with only
   Britain to push for the continuation of sanctions. The Arab world has also turned against
   sanctions, further complicating the situation for the United States.

   Under these conditions it will be practically impossible to maintain sanctions and hope
   to make a realistic impact.

   The time has come for the international community to convince Washington that its
   policy on Iraq of trying to oust Saddam through sanctions is redundant.