UN sanctions on Iraq have ended:
The United States and Britain won an international mandate today to occupy and rebuild Iraq, as the Security Council voted to end nearly 13 years of sanctions. It was a significant diplomatic victory for the Bush administration, as France, Germany and Russia, the principal opponents of the American-led war, lined up in support of the measure.
The resolution passed by a 14-to-0 vote this morning while the chair set aside for Syria, the lone Arab nation on the Council, remained empty. This afternoon, the Syrian charg