3 July 2001

Press Release

On the failure of the smart sanctions package against Iraq and extending the work of the oil for food program, a responsible source in the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, stated the following:

The failure of the project to impose smart sanctions on brotherly Iraq in the Security council voting yesterday and the failure of the American administration to win approval of the Arab countries surrounding Iraq to join that project did not mean an end to the attempts. The Americans and the British are still insisting on the programme, which calls for the Arab and Islamic Nation in particular to work for foiling such a project, the destructive repercussions of which are not limited to Iraq and its besieged people only but also affects the dignity of the whole Nation in its present and future.

Despite the Russian Federation’s positive stand whose threats in using the veto contributed in withdrawing the British draft resolution, yet it linked lifting the siege to Iraq’s acceptance of resuming the work of arms inspection teams. Consequently the Security Council agreed to extend work of the oil for food program for 150 days.

It is about time to lift the sanctions and siege on brotherly Iraq once and for all to be able to promote its potentials and boost its role alongside its Arab brothers in confrontation with the Zionist project and in support of the Palestinian people’s steadfastness and resistance of the Zionist occupation, because it is terrorist Sharon’s aggressive schemes that threaten the whole region rather than brotherly Iraq. 

The Islamic Resistance Movement
Hamas – Palestine
10 Rabee Thani 1422H
3^rd July 2001AD