Secretary-General dismayed at Iraq's intention to resume attacks on Iran's civilian areas.

Secretary-General dismayed at Iraq's intention to resume attacks on Iran's civilian areas

Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar on 2 July expressed his dismay at Iraq's announcement that it was resuming military attacks on civilian areas in Iran.

In a statement, the Secretary-General said such attacks, and the counter-attacks that might result, would again bring death and suffering to innocent civilians "who have already suffered too much for too long". He urged that recognized humanitarian norms be observed to spare suffering to innocent civilians on both sides, and called on the parties once again to respond to efforts to attain "a just and honourable resolution of this long and destructive conflict".

"The Secretary-General's readiness to assist in any manner that is considered appropriate by both sides is well known", the statement concluded.

Iranian and Iraqi allegations

In a letter of 16 July to the Secretary-General (A/40/487-S/17342), Iran said that Iraq, "in continuation of its chemical warfare" against Iranian forces, had shelled the north-east of Basra with "chemical cannon balls" on 7 May, resulting in injuries to several people. The next day, the Kenareh region lying across the south-west of Sardasht had been targeted by similar balls.

Stating that Iraq had "not yet abandoned its gross violations of the 1925 Geneva Protocol prohibiting the use of chemical agents in war", the letter called on the Secretary-General to take "further necessary action" to end the Iraqi use of chemical weapons, "thus terminating the probability of unwanted retaliatory actions". That step "may revive the desperately needed credibility and authority of the international instrument at stake", the letter said.

In a letter of 18 July to the Secretary-General (S/17347), Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Relations, Tariq Aziz, recalled Iraq's 14 June announcement to stop bombing selected targets inside Iranian cities. However, he stated, Iran had continued to state that it intended to continue the war, and had rejected all peace efforts. Iran had also launched attacks against various points across the Iraq-Iran border, and had stepped up its attacks "in no uncertain manner during the past few days".

The letter said Iran was "entirely responsible" for the escalation of the fighting, which had occurred despite the Secretary-General's efforts to stop "the acts of aggression" and to promote a settlement through negotiation. Iraq, which was prepared to end the fighting in a just and honourable manner, was in no way responsible for the continuation of the war "with the resulting bloodshed and disastrous consequences".

"If, in continuing the fighting, it is obliged to use the defensive means available to it, it is simply exercising its legitimate and sacred right to defend itself and protect its territory and dignity", the letter concluded.