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"Last week von Sponeck urged an end to sanctions imposed on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and criticised the oil-for-food programme. Last October he called on the members of the U.N. Security Council to separate the issue of relief for ordinary Iraqis from the more controversial political issues of disarmament." ------------------ Top UN Aide Asks to Leave Iraq Post in March BAGHDAD, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The top U.N. humanitarian official in Iraq has formally asked to leave his post at the end of March, a U.N. official in Baghdad said on Sunday. Hans von Sponeck, a German career U.N. official, has been under U.S. and British pressure to leave for criticising trade sanctions imposed on Iraq since 1990 and saying the humanitarian oil-for-food programme he heads was not meeting the minimum requirements of Iraq's 22 million people. "He has asked the Secretary-General to release him from his post as of the 31st of March," George Somerwill, the U.N. spokesman in Baghdad, told Reuters. Somerwill declined to comment on the reasons for von Sponeck's departure. He said von Sponeck would return to New York for consultations at the end of February and then come back to Baghdad before leaving his post. Von Sponeck was appointed on October 26, 1998, as the fifth humanitarian coordinator to run the programme under which Baghdad sells oil to buy food, medicine and other goods under U.N. supervision. In November, Annan extended his term to April 25 rather than for a full year as some expected, but refused to release him immediately as Washington wished. Last week von Sponeck urged an end to sanctions imposed on Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and criticised the oil-for-food programme. Last October he called on the members of the U.N. Security Council to separate the issue of relief for ordinary Iraqis from the more controversial political issues of disarmament. His criticisms won him praise in the Iraqi press, angering Washington and London. On Friday, the ruling Baath party newspaper al-Thawra said von Sponeck's analysis was based on facts and figures. "He did not publish presonal viewpoints irrelevant to his job when he talked about the deterioration of the health or food situation in Iraq," it said. Last year Washington accused von Sponeck of siding with Iraq in a propaganda battle over who is to blame for the suffering of the Iraqi people: the West, for imposing the sanctions, or the Iraqi government, for failing to meet the terms for lifting the embargoes. Iraq, which is under U.N. orders to destroy its weapons of mass destruction, has banned U.N. disarmament inspectors since December 1998 when Washington and London launched four days of extensive air and missile attacks against it for failing to cooperate with the monitors. Baghdad has since then dismissed a new U.N. resolution which could ease the sanctions if it allows the inspectors to return. MORE@ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Talk to your friends online with Yahoo! Messenger. http://im.yahoo.com --------------------------- ONElist Sponsor ---------------------------- Get what you deserve with NextCard Visa. Rates as low as 2.9 percent Intro or 9.9 percent Fixed APR, online balance transfers, Rewards Points, no hidden fees, and much more! Get NextCard today and get the credit you deserve! Apply now! Get your NextCard Visa at <a href=" http://clickme.onelist.com/ad/NextcardCreative2CL ">Click Here</a> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Iraq List is member of Sindbad Communications' Media Group Iraq_L unsubscribe: mailto:Iraq_L-unsubscribe@onelist.com -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk Full archive and list instructions are available from the CASI website: http://welcome.to/casi