1.   A sanction decision could come soon.

2.   But officials of the agency said that they must abide by sanctions committee decisions.

3.   The sanctions decision followed a breakdown in talks over port access issues between U.S. and Japanese transport officials.

4.   UNESCO cannot supply any of these items to Iraq because of sanctions committee decisions.

5.   Instead of issuing a press release, the State Department made known its sanctions decision in the Federal Register, the official record of governmental actions.

6.   Foreign Minister Josep Pique of Spain, which holds the rotating EU presidency, said the sanctions decision was unanimous.

7.   In any event, the sanctions decision will have to be made by the finance ministers of the euro system members, voting by a qualified majority.

8.   The USTR spokeswoman refused to comment Tuesday on whether Washington would be prepared to extend the deadline for a sanctions decision a second time.

9.   US officials have refused to comment on whether Washington would be prepared to extend the deadline for a sanctions decision again.

10.   The deadline for a sanctions decision is midnight Friday.