
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, July 28, 1990                   TAG: 9007280031
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-12   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

HOUSE, SENATE OK SANCTIONS AGAINST IRAQ

The House and Senate voted Friday to impose economic sanctions on Iraq, and government sources said the Bush administration is considering its own, milder moves against the Baghdad government.

The Senate, which took the strongest action, voted 80 to 16 to cut off $1.2 billion in U.S. loan guarantees Iraq uses to buy American wheat, rice, lumber, cattle and commercial goods such as tires and machinery.

Acting on an amendment by Sen. Alfonse D'Amato, R-N.Y., senators also moved to bar sales of weapons, sensitive technology and items that can be used for military purposes. The amendment was made part of the 1990 farm bill.

The move, and a watered-down sanctions package approved by the House, were signs of growing congressional concern about Iraq's human rights abuses, intimidation of its neighbors, harboring of terrorists and developing chemical and nuclear weapons programs.

"There comes a time when we have to stand up and be counted," said Sen. Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., who conceded the sanctions could hurt Kansas wheat farmers. She said human rights considerations, including reports of government torture of children, outweigh economics:

"I can't believe any farmer in this nation would want to send his products, under subsidized sales, to a country that has used chemical weapons and a country that has tortured and executed its children."

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the congressional action would not help U.S. diplomatic efforts to moderate Iraq's behavior.

In a move of its own against Baghdad, the State Department asked the Commerce Department to require licenses "on a case-by-case basis" for shipments of American material that could be useful in producing nuclear or chemical weapons, Boucher said.

Government sources said the Bush administration was seriously considering other options for action to signal U.S. displeasure without totally alienating President Saddam Hussein.

These included putting Iraq back on the U.S. list of terrorist nations, which would end commodity loan guarantees and Export-Import Bank credits for purchase of American industrial goods, or a more limited move to tighten restrictions on U.S. exports.

"This is a freight train coming down the track" from Congress, said an administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is plenty of impetus. The question becomes, do we want to be active, or let [Capitol] Hill do it to us?"

by CNB