Iraqi parliament backs leadership's threat over sanctions

Iraq's National Assembly on Tuesday gave its "full support" to a recent statement by the Iraqi leadership threatening that Iraq might take unspecified action over the international embargo against Baghdad.

"The National Assembly has announced full support for the statement that the Revolution Command Council issued on 20th December.

"The RCC statement emphasized that Iraq will not stand idly by in the face of the continued unjust blockade and the US threat to encroach upon Iraq's national sovereignty," the Iraqi news agency INA reported, quoting a statement issued by the Assembly.

The statement said the "existing erroneous situation" imposed on Iraq had to end "within a short time".

"The National Assembly voiced its utter conviction that the real issue has nothing to do with the extent of Iraq's implementation of its legal commitments that it fully implemented years ago," INA said.

"It has to do with the US Administration's endeavours to resist Iraq's free and independent policy and with its attempt to dominate the Arab countries and enable the Zionist entity to continue its occupation of Arab territories and bring their oil and mineral wealth under control," it said.

The statement also recalled an earlier call by the National Assembly in November urging the UN Special Commission to set a six-month deadline for ending its weapons inspection activities and lifting the blockade on Iraq.

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