The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
The current edition of The Guardian Weekly (August 26 - September 1) reproduces the letter from Hazhir Teimourian originally printed in The Guardian on 16th August/ I suggest anyone who sent a response to The Guardian, make the necessary modifications [ie. change any references to The Guardian to The Guardian Weekly] and send their responses to The Guardian Weekly at weekly@guardian.co.uk. Here's what I've sent to The Guardian Weekly : Hazhir Teimourian has most of his facts wrong (Iraqi children at Saddam's mercy, Letters, August 26th). Iraq is not permitted "$5.2 bn [worth of oil sales] every six months for humanitarian imports". Despite Teimourian's explicit statement to the contrary this figure (the ceiling imposed on oil sales under the UN's 'oil-for-food' programme) does *not* take into account the fact that 34% of all revenues raised are allocated *by the UN* for purposes other than humanitarian provision for the Iraqi people - namely the Compensation Fund and to pay for UN expenses. Similarly the statement that "according to the UN, about half of all food and medicines brought into the country under the Oil-for-Food programme decayed in government warehouses" bears little resemblance to reality. It is certainly true that the UN has documented the "accumulation" of medical supplies (but *not* food) in warehouses in Iraq. However, to a significant extent the problems in distributing and installing these supplies appear to be sanctions-related : shortage of transport, poor communications, lack of material-handling equipment and the absence (in the center/south) of money to fund training and participation in the programme (a so-called "cash component"). There is no evidence of deliberate obstruction on the part of the Iraqi government in the distribution of these supplies. Anyone wishing to check the facts for themselves can consult the UN's own documentation on the "oil-for-food" programme website : www.un.org/Depts/oip. Milan Rai voices in the wilderness uk 12 Trinity Road London N2 8JJ tel. 0181 - 444 1605 -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Please do not sent emails with attached files to the list *** Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html ***