France Urging U.N. to Suspend Iraq Penalties

The French ambassador to the UN called for the suspension of non-military trade with Iraq today, offering what some see as an olive branch to the US. Since taking control of Iraq, Washington has sought the complete lifting of sanctions on the country. France's latest move may be a way to ensure it isn't completely frozen out of a role in Iraq's post-war reconstruction, but the official decisions on when and how to lift sanctions will need be made collectively by the UN Security Council. – YaleGlobal