Security Council expresses 'deep distress' at downing of Iranian civilian plane.

Under the text (S/20038)-put forward by Council President Paulo Nogueira-Batista of Brazil following several days of consultations among Council members-the Council welcomed the decision of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), in response to Iran's request, "to institute an immediate fact-finding investigation to determine all relevant facts and technical aspects of the chain of events relating to the flight and destruction of the aircraft".

Announcements by the United States and by Iran of their decisions to co-operate with the ICAO investigation were also welcomed.

The Council urged all parties to the 1944 Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation "to observe to the fullest extent, in all circumstances, the international rules and practices concerning the safety of civil aviation . . . in order to prevent the recurrence of incidents of the same nature".

The Council stressed the need for a full and rapid implementation of its resolution 598 (1987), "as the only basis for a comprehensive, just, honourable and durable settlement of the conflict between Iran and Iraq", and reaffirmed its support to efforts of Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar to implement that resolution, "committing itself to work with him in the development of his implementation plan",

The Council met four times between 14 and 20 July In requesting the session, Iran said it wanted consideration of "the massacre of 290 innocent civilian passengers of Iran Air flight 655 by the naval forces of the United States".

In letters of 6 and 11 July to the Council President, the United States said that on 3 July, in the course of a United States response to an attack by Iranian small boats, the USS Vincennes had fired in self-defence at what it had believed to be a hostile Iranian military aircraft, after sending repeated warnings, to which the aircraft had not responded.

The United States said it deeply regretted the tragic loss of life and was conducting a full investigation. It did not seek a military confrontation with Iran or a widening of the conflict in the area. Iran: 'A dastardly attack'

Ali-Akbar Velayati, Foreign Minister of Iran, characterized the shooting down of the airliner as a "dastardly attack . . . by a reckless and incompetent naval force led by aggressive and expansionist policymakers". The "criminal act" had flagrantly violated international law.

The USS Vincennes, he said, had had well over 14 minutes-and not 4 minutes, as American officials had claimed-of prior knowledge that the target was a civilian airliner on a scheduled flight from Bandar-Abbas to Dubai.

The American claim that the shooting down of the airliner had occurred in the course of hostilities initiated by Iranian patrol boats was a "story concocted to justify an act which cannot be explained under any circumstances".

The Air Bus jetliner had been flying within an internationally recognized civilian airway while ascending to the prescribed altitude, he declared, and was transmitting signals identifying itself as a civilian airliner.

United States:

A 'tragic accident'

George Bush, Vice-President of the United States, said the "tragic accident" had occurred "against a backdrop of repeated, unjustified, unprovoked and unlawful Iranian attacks against United States merchant shipping and armed forces", and in the midst of a naval attack initiated by Iranian vessels.

The United States had never wilfully acted to endanger innocent civilians, nor would it ever do so. Butit would "never put its military in a dangerous situation and deny them the right to defend themselves" ' By allowing the civilian airliner to fly into -an area of engagement between Iranian warships and United States forces in the Gulf, Iran must bear a substantial measure of responsibility for what had happened. ICAO session

After a two-day (13-14 July) extraordinary session at its Montreal headquarters, the ICAO Council deplored the use of weapons against a civil aircraft, strongly urging States to refrain from any action which might jeopardize the safety of civil aviation in the area. An immediate fact-finding investigation would be launched to determine "all relevant facts and technical aspects of the chain of events relating to the flight and destruction" of the aircraft.

The Council also requested proper co-ordination of civil flight operations and military activities within the area to fully safeguard the safety of civil air navigation; measures to improve routing arrangements in the area; civil aircraft; and studies to prevent the recurrence of "such a tragic incident".