[url]www.cnn.com/2002/US/05/14/iraq.sanctions/index.html[/url]


[b]NEW YORK (CNN) -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Tuesday to overhaul sanctions against Iraq, tightening military restrictions but loosening the flow of civilian goods.

The vote, 15-0, extends the U.N. oil-for-food program for six months; it had been delayed for 24 hours to give time for Syria to consider after its proposed amendments to the resolution were rejected.

The resolution includes a list of goods that would need review before being sent to Iraq -- mostly technological equipment such as telecommunications and information technology items.

Officials are concerned about "dual use" items, those that could be used for consumer and military purposes.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations John Negroponte called the vote "important news" and a "significant accomplishment."

"By simplifying this export regime and focusing it more on products and services that could contribute to a weapons program, I think the regime has been made more effective," he said.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Sergey Lavrov said the move makes it easier for civilian goods to get to Iraq, but he does not expect it to have a dramatic effect on Iraq's economy.

"I have to say that the resolution or any other modification to the humanitarian problem which might be agreed to in the future would not be able to solve the problems of the Iraqi economy. It's only through the lifting of sanctions that Iraq could revive its economy," he said.[/b]

What... are the sactions simply going to be less strict but. hey at least they are still under [b]sanctions[/b]..  
Dosent the UN know that the purpose behind them was to make it harder on them....

eDITED TO ADD **********************

Instead of   loosening the sactions....why dont they push for thier enforcement????????