Iraqi foreign minister says it's time to get rid of U.N. sanctions

From Jill Dougherty
CNN State Department Correspondent

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Nearly two decades after the first Gulf war and six years after Saddam Hussein was removed from power, Iraq still is subject to 73 United Nations resolutions.

Now Iraq's foreign minister says his country "will not regain full sovereignty and independence without getting rid of these resolutions."

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Hoshyar Zebari said Monday that Iraq has paid "billions" of dollars under Chapter 7 of the U.N. sanctions placed on Iraq as a result of the 1990 Iraq invasion of Kuwait and subsequent war.

The U.N. Security Council is reviewing the sanctions, and Zebari said he had "intensive discussions" in New York with members of the Security Council. He said "I think the outcome is positive."

"We felt a great deal of good will that, really, time has come for Iraq to get rid of all these restrictions and to regain its international standing and position as a normal country."