Under the United Nations Charter, any such sanctions package approved by the Security Council would be legally binding on all member nations.
The United States' decision to ignore the nuclear-swap deal and push through a new sanctions package was also "positive for us," he maintained.
Sentiment against the fine, which some Republicans called a "cost assessment" or a "cost reimbursement," was apparently what motivated 26 Republicans to vote against the sanctions package.
His proposal met with such overwhelming opposition from the rank and file that today Mr. Tambo proposed a resolution "that the existing sanctions package be maintained."
The new sanctions package came some 10 days after Secretary of State James A. Baker 3d lost patience with the European Community's efforts to negotiate a peace settlement in the former Yugoslav federation.
After the meeting, Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman, said there was now "widespread agreement, although not total agreement," on elements of an initial sanctions package.
That will not be easy, in part because the entire United Nations Security Council is supposed to vote on the sanctions package.
Largely at the insistence of the United States all loans were initially blocked to China as part of a sanctions package.
But Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd of Britain told the BBC today that an oil embargo might be imposed next if the current sanctions package did not achieve its aims.
Provisions under consideration for the new sanctions package are a virtual blockade on traffic headed to Serbia on the Danube River, a major route for oil imports.