Powell presses Europe over Iraq

Washington wants to ease the suffering of Iraqi people

US Secretary of State Colin Powell has been seeking approval for a modified package of UN sanctions against Iraq during meetings with European foreign ministers in Brussels.

Speaking on his way into the European Union headquarters, Mr Powell said tougher sanctions against military shipments to Baghdad would be matched by an easing of measures that directly affected Iraqi civilians.

I have every reason to believe we are able to keep the box as tightly closed as we have in the last 10 years, without receiving on our shoulders all the baggage that goes with it

Colin Powell

He arrived in Brussels after a tour of the Middle East, during which he said he had found solid support from Iraq's neighbours for a shift in the emphasis of sanctions.

Saudi Arabia and Kuwait back the US proposal, while Syria, Mr Powell said, had pledged to put its pipeline from Iraq under the control of the UN sanctions system.

Pressing Europe

Industry sources say the pipeline has been pumping about 100,000 barrels of Iraqi oil a day since November, bypassing the UN system and paying revenues directly to President Saddam Hussein.

Syria has not commented on the announcement, while Iraq shrugged it off, denying that oil was being pumped from Iraq to Syria.

Mr Powell had separate talks in Brussels with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

Many Iraqis exist below the poverty line

Turkey is a neighbour of Iraq, and Mr Powell is trying to get front-line states to help clamp down on illegal oil shipments from Baghdad.

Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker will visit Turkey on Thursday, then Lebanon, Oman and the United Arab Emirates for talks about revised sanctions.

Mr Powell also held talks with the UK and French Foreign Secretaries, Robin Cook and Hubert Vedrine, before meeting European Commission President Romano Prodi.

'No excuse'

Mr Powell briefed Mr Prodi on his visit to Israel and several Arab nations.

"Following the successful example of EU-US co-operation in the Balkans, the Middle East should now become a major plank of EU-US foreign policy co-operation," said Mr Prodi.

The US secretary of state says US proposals to refocus Iraq policy would mean tightening "sanctions on all those sorts of equipments and other materials that put the people of the region at risk," while removing some of the restrictions on goods "that can go to civilians for civilian use".

Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf meets Kofi Annan

He said Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein would no longer have "an excuse of saying that we are hurting the Iraqi people."

Kuwait's minister of state for foreign affairs, Sheikh Mohammed Al-Sabbah, said on Tuesday that his government backed the changes so long as they maintained a ban on "military materials that would directly threaten Kuwait's security."

UN-Iraq talks

And Saudi Arabia, which allows US and British attack planes to use its airbases, said it and the US have agreed on the need to reconsider the sanctions.

Iraq's foreign minister criticised Washington's proposals, saying the embargo should be lifted altogether because Baghdad has complied with UN demands by scrapping its weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq and the UN have are holding a second day of talks aimed at ending deadlock over 10-year old sanctions, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan saying Baghdad was anxious to find a way to break the impasse.

On Monday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf ruled out any return of weapons inspectors to the country.