IN THE NEWS - Iraq Accepts UN Resolution

IN THE NEWS - November 16, 2002: Iraq Accepts UN Resolution

By Caty Weaver¹

This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS.

Iraq has announced its acceptance of a United Nations resolution on weapons inspections². All fifteen members of
the U-N Security Council passed the resolution last Friday. The measure gives U-N inspectors⁴ the right to search
anywhere in Iraq for banned weapons. It calls for serious measures if Iraq is found to disobey U-N demands to
disarm⁵.

On Wednesday, U-N Secretary General Kofi Annan received a letter signed by Iraqi Foreign Minister Naji Sabri.
The letter said Iraq is ready to receive the weapons inspectors. It said Iraq would deal with the resolution. Yet it
criticized the measure’s substance.

The Iraqi letter sharply criticized the United States and Britain – the two countries that proposed the resolution.
It said they spread a false claim that Iraq had perhaps produced or was on its way to produce nuclear weapons. It
said the United States and Britain wrongly accused Iraq of producing chemical and biological weapons. Iraq
criticized other Security Council members for remaining silent.

The letter said the United Nations had changed from an organization designed to protect world peace and
security. It said the U-N now provides cover to those who want war, destruction, blockades and starvation.

The letter said the important thing was to avoid any harm to the Iraqi people. It said Iraq would receive the
inspectors within a time limit set by the resolution. Iraq has until December eighth to provide them with a
declaration of all its chemical and biological weapons. The resolution requires the inspections to begin within
fifteen days of that. The U-N’s chief weapons inspector³ must report to the Security Council sometime in the
sixty days that follow.

Reaction to the Iraqi letter was mixed. President Bush said there would be no negotiations⁶ with Iraqi leader
Saddam Hussein. Mister Bush also said that his administration would not accept any lying or denials from Iraq.
American officials disputed Iraq’s claim that it has no chemical or biological weapons. The officials said they
would not release intelligence about the issue before Iraq declares its weapons programs to the inspectors.

U-N Secretary General Annan welcomed Iraq’s acceptance of the resolution. British Foreign Secretary Jack⁷
Straw also welcomed the acceptance. Yet he warned that there would be serious results if Iraq failed to obey the
resolution.

Arab countries praised Iraq’s acceptance of the resolution. Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa said it
is a step in the right direction. He said it would change the discussion on Iraq from war to inspections and how to
make the inspections successful. Russia also praised the Iraqi decision. A Russian foreign ministry⁸ official said
his government would discuss suspending U-N restrictions⁹ against Iraq if it honors the resolution.

This VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS was written by Caty Weaver. This is Steve Ember.

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1 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

2 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

4 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制