> IRAQ SANCTIONS MONITOR Number 192 > Friday, January 19, 2001 > > The daily Monitor is produced by the Mariam Appeal. > Tel: 00 44 (0) 207 403 5200. > Website: www.mariamappeal.com. > _________________________________________________ > > Iraqi Health Ministry says 121,271 Iraqis `died from the > embargo` in 2000 > > Text of report by Iraqi news agency INA web site > > Baghdad, 18 January: The Iraqi Health Ministry says that 11, 421 > persons died in December 2000 from various diseases caused > by the embargo that has been imposed on Iraq for more than 10 > years. > > Health Ministry statistics explain that 8,182 children below five > years of age died from diarrhoea, pneumonia, respiratory tract > diseases and malnutrition as compared to 299 children in > December 1989. > > The ministry says that 3,239 elderly people died in December > 2000 from heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes and > malignant tumours as compared to 520 in the same month of > 1989. > > The statistics show that the mortality rate among children from > malnutrition has increased to 3718/52 per cent [figure as > received] and that 1,965 elderly people died from malignant > tumours. > > Thus, according to these statistics, 121,271 children and elderly > people died from the embargo during 2000. This figure, when > added to the numbers of those who died between 1990-1999, > brings the total number of dead to 1,386, 478. > > _________________________________________________ > > Iraq: No change in Iraq policy, UK insists > >> From MIDDLE EAST ECONOMIC DIGEST, January 19th, 2001 > > London says it has no plans to propose a change of policy > towards Iraq to the incoming Bush administration in > Washington. The denial follows a report in the London daily The > Guardian quoting unnamed officials saying the UK wants to end > air patrols over southern Iraq and would like UN-imposed > economic sanctions to be eased. > > A spokesman for the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office said > on 10 January that the Guardian article two days earlier was not > accurate. "There are no plans for a change of policy and we are > not about to pull out of southern Iraq," he said. > > The UK will, as on past occasions when there has been a > change of administration in Washington, go over existing > policies with official of incoming president Bush, the > spokesman said. The Foreign Office said on 9 January that there > would be no policy change until Iraq complies with UN > resolutions. > > The Guardian report quoted an unnamed official as saying that > "the whole of US-British policy" is under review. Reports in The > Guardian and elsewhere say London is also looking at ways of > easing the 10-year- old economic sanctions. Air patrols over > northern Iraq would, however, continue to protect the Kurds living > there in semi-autonomous enclaves. > > Baghdad claims US and UK aircraft patrolling the northern and > southern no-fly zones have killed more than 300 civilians in the > past two years. > > On 10 January, Baghdad also demanded a probe into the > effects of depleted uranium-tipped weapons used by US-led > forces in the 1991 Gulf war and the 1999 NATO war on > Yugoslavia. Recent reports on the effects of depleted uranium on > NATO soldiers and Yugoslav citizens "confirm the credibility of > facts presented by Iraq over previous years on the use of these > weapons [in the] 1991 aggression on Iraq", an Iraqi official > was quoted as saying. > > __________________________________________________ > > Vietnam breaks UN air embargo to fly aid to Iraq > > HANOI, Jan 19 (AFP) - Vietnam became the latest country to > break the 10-year-old UN air embargo imposed on Iraq by flying > a plane loaded with aid to Baghdad on Friday, airport officials > said. > > It is the first time Hanoi has sent a humanitarian flight to Iraq, > although it has repeatedly called for the sanctions imposed in > 1990 to be lifted. > > The plane, which left from Hanoi airport, was carrying medicines, > milk and clothes worth some 20,000 dollars, spokeswoman > Phan Thuy Thanh said, adding Hanoi had informed the UN > committee overseeing the sanctions of its intentions. > > The Vietnamese delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister > Nguyen Cong Tan and included the head of the country's Red > Cross, Nguyen Trong Nhan, ministry officials and Vietnamese > businessmen. > > More than 80 flights have landed in Baghdad since Saddam > International airport reopened in August 2000, as Arab countries > in particular have queued up to offer their support to the Iraqi > regime. > > The embargo was among sanctions imposed by the United > Nations after Iraq invaded Kuwait in August 1990, which led to > the brief Gulf War in 1991. > > But there has been increasing sympathy for the Iraqis, amid > widespread suffering and shortages caused by the crippling > embargo. > > ________________________________________________ > > Iraqis celebrate the day missiles hit Israel > > BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Iraq offered more of its version of the Gulf > War Thursday, celebrating the 10th anniversary of the day > President Saddam Hussein ordered his missiles unit to strike > Israel. > > ``It was an historic decision taken by President Saddam > Hussein to strike the Zionist entity,'' Gen. Najim Abdellah > Mohamed, commander of the Iraqi Missiles Force, was quoted > as telling Alef-Ba magazine. > > Most of Iraq's state-run dailies offered more praise for Saddam > in editorials relating the missile strikes on Israel as well as on > Arab states that had joined the Gulf War coalition fighting to force > Saddam to withdrawn from Kuwait. > > The Iraqi attack ``did not only destroy military targets in Israel, it > also destroyed the complacency of the Zionists and their military > commanders,'' al-Iraq daily said in its editorial. > > Iraq's attacks on Israel began a day after U.S.-led allied forces > began bombarding Iraq on Jan. 17, 1991. Over the next month, > 39 Iraqi Scuds hit Israel. > > On Thursday, Saddam's eldest son Odai sent a letter to his > father declaring ``Iraq is still standing tall and God, who created > Iraq, is the only one who could erase it.'' Odai Hussein recently > told parliament, of which he is a member, that Kuwait should be > shown on maps as part of Iraq. > > Saddam has portrayed the war as an Iraqi victory, though his > troops withdrew from Kuwait Feb. 26, 1991. > > Saddam's army was severely weakened by the war and further > sapped in crushing internal uprisings that immediately followed. > In addition, the Iraqi economy has been decimated by U.N. > sanctions imposed to punish Iraq and force it to give up > weapons of mass destruction. > > Iraq is now paying war reparations to Israel. The exception from > U.N. sanctions that allows Iraq to sell oil in order to buy > necessities for its people also sets aside 25 percent of the oil > revenues to compensate victims of the war.Saddam may hold > the key to West's prosperity > > __________________________________________________ > >> From THE TIMES, January 18th, 2001 > > THE future prosperity of Western economies could rest in the > hands of President Saddam Hussein of Iraq after oil producers > decided yesterday to cut production and Baghdad said that it > would meet the shortfall. > > A decade after the Western allies went to war with Baghdad, in > part to secure oil supplies from the Gulf, Iraq emerged as the > one country in the region prepared to boost exports to the West > at a time of uncertainty in the global economy. > > The bizarre twist emerged in Vienna at an emergency meeting > of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), > where oil ministers from the 11-nation cartel voted to reduce > production in an effort to keep up the price of crude. They also > threatened further cuts later in March. > > Chakib Khelil, Opec's president, said that the member states > had agreed to cut production by 1.5 million barrels a day in an > effort to keep prices at about $25 (Pounds 17) a barrel. > > "I am happy with this, but maybe we will have another cut in > March," Abdullah alAttiyah, the Oil Minister of Qatar, said. "We will > have to see how the market reacts." > > The price rise has caused concern in America. At the weekend > Bill Richardson, the Energy Secretary, went on a tour of the Gulf > states in an effort to persuade the oil-rich kingdoms to maintain > their production levels. It is feared that higher fuel prices could > hasten a slowdown of the economy which is already showing > signs of strain. > > Mr Richardson said the decision was disappointing and could > lower stock levels and make oil prices more volatile. > > No sooner had Opec announced its plans to cut back > production than the Iraqi delegate at the meeting said that his > country would more than meet the expected shortfall. Naji > al-Hadithi, the former editor of the Baghdad Observer, said that > Iraq's disrupted exports would resume in earnest by the end of > the month and that he expected the country to be exporting two > million barrels a day. > > "We warned Opec that their reduction was meaningless and > that if the wanted to have any impact they should have > announced reductions of three million," he said. > > "That is because we intend to have our exports back to two > million barrels a day by the end of this month." > > Although Iraq has a seat at Opec, at present it is outside the > cartel's production agreements because, by international law, its > oil must be sold through the United Nations, which controls how > the money is spent. Because of a dispute with the UN last month > over pricing, exports have been largely frozen. > > Mr al-Hadithi emphasised that Iraq had not made the decision > out of any sympathy for America or the West, which it still regards > as its bitter enemies. Instead the move is a reflection of Iraq's > need to generate more revenue for its UN-held account, which > is used to purchase food and medicines. > > The Iraqi move does, however, raise the prospect that Opec may > have to consider further production cuts when it meets in March if > it is to keep the oil price at today's levels. > > Opec's action is likely to be used by George W. Bush, the US > President-elect, to bolster his argument that new areas of > America must be opened up to oil exploration. > > During the election campaign Mr Bush, a former oilman, > repeatedly argued that the United States needed to become less > dependent on importing oil and realise the potential of oilfields > believed to lie beneath a number of wilderness areas, chiefly the > National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Mr Bush, who clashed with > Vice-President Al Gore over the issue, repeated his desire to > expand oil and gas drilling when he met members of Congress > earlier this month. "I'm not going to allow the working people of > this country to suffer," he said, referring to the rising cost of petrol > and heating oil. > > He plans to review decisions taken by President Clinton in his > final days in office to limit exploitation of 58million acres of > national forests and create a series of new national > "monuments", many of which are pristine areas where > companies had hoped to drill. He decided not to give extra > protection to the Alaskan refuge, which will be opened to > exploration companies only if Congress agrees. > > The news from Opec may even help him in the battle over his > nomination of Gale Norton as Interior Secretary. Ms Norton has > faced tough opposition from environmentalists because she, > too, has championed the need to allow oil companies on to > Alaska's North Slope and other controversial sites. > > Friends of the Earth said that Mr Bush had declared war on the > environment with her nomination, but concerns about oil supply > might persuade some wavering senators of the merits of > changing energy exploration policy. > > _________________________________________________ > > NEW ARMS INSPECTORS SIT, WAIT AS UN-IRAQ STANDOFF > PERSISTS > >> From CHICAGO TRIBUNE, January 18th, 2001 > > Ten years after allied troops defeated Iraqi forces in Operation > Desert Storm, one of the major concerns of the war, the > existence of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons, remains > unresolved. > > A defiant President Saddam Hussein has succeeded in keeping > UN inspectors out of his weapons facilities since he threw them > out two years ago. > > And since 1998, there has been little dialogue between the > United Nations and Iraqi diplomats on the issue of weapons > inspections, UN officials say. > > But Iraqi officials are scheduled to meet UN Secretary General > Kofi Annan next month to talk about a solution to the impasse. > > Progress also has been stalled because of uncertainty over how > the incoming Bush administration will deal with Iraq. Many of > President-elect George W. > > Bush's top advisers, including Colin Powell and Dick Cheney, > were architects of the Persian Gulf war and have indicated that > the Bush administration may adopt a tougher line against Iraq. > > Since September, a new team of inspectors has been preparing > to resume inspections, but they aren't sure when their work will > begin, said Hans Blix, head of the United Nations Monitoring and > Verification and Inspection Commission that will oversee the > process. > > "If the Iraqis [approved] the inspection today, we would be ready > to send in people," said Blix, the former head of the International > Atomic Energy Agency, who came out of retirement to head the > new UN commission, UNMOVIC. > > At the crux of the controversy is a 1999 UN resolution specifying > that sanctions against Iraq would be suspended once Iraq > proved it had dismantled its chemical and biological > weapons-making abilities. Iraq rejected that condition, saying > sanctions must be lifted before it again admitted UN inspectors. > > "Iraq has been subjected to unprecedented injustice by the > Security Council," former Iraqi UN envoy Saeed Hasan said last > year. "Nobody now can challenge the fact that comprehensive > sanctions is tantamount to genocide." Hasan maintained that if > the UN tried to send its inspectors to Baghdad, "we will not let > them in. We will not give them visas. It's as simple as that." > Meanwhile, hundreds of facilities in Iraq have not been inspected > since December 1998, when Iraq ordered the former weapons > inspection team--called UNSCOM--to leave the country amid > allegations it was spying for the CIA. > > Blix declined to speculate on whether Hussein has rebuilt his > weapons program since the hiatus. > > "We know that Saddam had been making anthrax and many > other unpleasant chemicals," Blix said. > > Anthony Cordesman, a strategic affairs expert at the > Washington-based Center for Strategic and International > Studies, said Iraq likely has begun rebuilding its arsenal in the > last decade. > > Hussein on Wednesday pronounced the gulf war a great > moment in Iraq's history--failing to mention his crushing military > defeat and the country's withered economy. > > "On a day like this day 10 years ago, evil and all those who made > Satan their protector lined up in one place, facing those who > represented the will to defend what is right," Hussein said in > Baghdad. Iraq's enemies were "stamped with disgrace and > shame that will never disappear until doomsday." The war > threatened Hussein's rule, but when the United States and its > allies chose not to push for his ouster, the Iraqi leader > systematically eliminated his domestic opposition. Iraq, which > has endured two ruinous wars and a decade of sanctions since > Hussein became president 22 years ago, has been isolated > internationally and has seen its prosperous economy vanish. > > The Iraqi leader made no direct mention of the economic and > social turmoil or the day to day problems faced by Iraq's 23 > million people. > > Many experts think the stalemate over the weapons inspection > issue will continue indefinitely. > > "I see no easy resolution to this," said Gary Sick, acting director > of Columbia University's Middle East Institute. "Obviously, the > Iraqis are trying to use the inspection regime as a bargaining > chip and say, `We'll let the inspectors in at least in principal if the > sanctions are lifted.' I'm not at all optimistic that a bargain can be > struck." The UN has been mired in a tug of war with Iraq since > the end of the gulf war. Although UNSCOM, formed in 1991, > succeeded in finding and destroying Iraqi missiles and facilities, > Hussein was able to hide the full extent of its weapons-making > operations. > > That led to a near confrontation in early 1998 when Iraq denied > UN inspectors access to several facilities. U.S. military airplanes > were poised to strike targets in Iraq until Annan intervened to > work out a compromise. > > The inspection process collapsed again in December 1998 > when then-UNSCOM executive director Richard Butler submitted > findings to the Security Council showing that the Iraq had > concealed the truth about its weapons. > > Iraq charged then that the CIA had used UNSCOM as a cover to > spy on military installations after press reports surfaced, quoting > former UNSCOM head Scott Ritter. Butler denied any knowledge > of espionage attempts while he led UNSCOM. > > Iraq expelled all UNSCOM inspectors from the country and > President Clinton ordered U.S. planes to bomb targets in the > country in retaliation. While bombing missions have continued > intermittently, there have been no more inspections. > > "The biggest problem is that the UN does not trust Iraq, and Iraq > does not trust the UN," said a Western diplomat familiar with the > issue. "People say the Iraqis cheated the system, and so > [Hussein] has to be very hard in his position. But the UN tried to > cheat. With a lack of trust, it's difficult to see how this > collaboration can work." Blix said the new weapons inspection > team is composed of scientists from around the world, including > South America, Thailand, Bangladesh and Eastern Europe. > Many have taken a four-week training course that covers the > historical and cultural background of Iraq and the legal and > political aspects of weapons inspection. They also receive > specialized training on ballistic missiles and biological and > chemical weapons. > > "We are trying to place ourselves as far out on the launching pad > as we can without making a huge financial commitment," Blix > said. > > Once the new team of inspectors gets the nod to go to Iraq, the > main challenge it faces is surveying more than 300 sites > throughout the country for weapons, Blix said. The major areas > to be searched include Baghdad, the capital, and the northern > city of Mosul, he said. > > __________________________________________________ > > Saddam's sons say their troops are ready to defend Iraq > > BAGHDAD, Jan 18 (AFP) - The two sons of Iraqi President > Saddam Hussein, Uday and Qussay, have sent messages to > their father ensuring him that the tens of thousands of troops > they control are ready to defend the nation, newspapers said > Thursday. > > Uday, the elder, said the paramilitary "Fedayin of Saddam" were > prepared, while Qussay vouched for the elite Republican Guard > in the messages despatched Wednesday, the 10th anniversary > of the start of the Gulf War. > > The fedayin fighters "are loyal to their oath and the difficulties > which arise only strengthen their determination," boasted Uday. > > Qussay, chief of the Republican Guard, which protects > Saddam, wrote: "We stand ready for holy combat." > > The guard of 50,000-70,000 men was deployed to put down a > Shiite uprising in the south which followed defeat in the 1991 > Gulf War. > > The fedayin are a volunteer force set up in October 1994 "to > defend Iraq against any conspiracy or external aggression". > > Men from both forces marched through Baghdad at the end of > December in the biggest military parade organised in Iraq since > the end of the Gulf War. Saddam looked on, repeatedly firing a > rifle in the air in celebration. > > He marked the anniversary of the war with a victory speech and > a threat to bombard Israel for six months to liberate Palestine. > > __________________________________________________ > > Uday sends cable to Saddam, says English `ugliest of God's > creatures` > >> From BBC INTERNATIONAL REPORTS, January 18th, 2001 > > > The eldest son of Iraqi President Saddam Husayn has written to > his father on the 10th anniversary of the Gulf War, "a war which is > not finished yet", and which - he said - had left Iraq unchanged. > Uday said that he and his fellow commandos remained faithful > to their pledge. He also recalled the words of his great uncle: > "Always remember that the English are the ugliest of God's > creatures", only surpassed in ugliness "by the Jews first and the > Persians second". > > _________________________________________________ > > Iraq asks U.N. for investigation into uranium effects > > BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Iraq demanded Thursday that the United > Nations open an immediate investigation into the effects of > depleted uranium on Iraq during the Gulf War. > > Iraq has insisted for years that there is a link between depleted > uranium used in armor-piercing weapons and the increase in > the number of Iraqis suffering from leukemia and other kinds of > cancer. Recent international attention to the health risks of > depleted uranium left over from NATO airstrikes in the Balkans in > recent years prompted Iraq to raise the issue again. > > ``Iraq urges you to order a prompt inquiry, to be conducted by > reliable medical and scientific authorities in cooperation with the > relevant Iraqi scientific bodies,'' Foreign Minister Mohammed > Saeed al-Sahhaf said in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi > Annan obtained by The Associated Press. > > The letter said a probe would confirm that hundreds of > thousands of Iraqi civilians had been affected. > > Iraq's Health Ministry says the number of cancer cases > nationwide rose from 6,555 in 1989 to 10,931 in 1997, > particularly in areas heavily bombed by allied forces during the > 1991 Gulf War. > > The ministry was unable to provide more recent figures. > > ``Iraq reserves the right to demand fair compensation for the > casualties and damages caused from the use of these > weapons,'' the Foreign Ministry said in a statement last week. > > Depleted uranium, a heavy metal used in munitions to pierce > armor, is a byproduct of natural uranium and about 40 percent > as radioactive. > > U.S. and British tanks and warplanes first used ammunition > containing depleted uranium in combat during the Gulf War, and > more than 300 tons still litters battlefields in Iraq, according to > U.N. officials. > > Numerous studies into the effects of depleted uranium have not > revealed any connection between the metal and cancer. Still, > children are feared to be at risk if they inhale uranium dust or put > hands soiled with the toxic metal in their mouths. > > Meanwhile, a report published by the Health Ministry on > Thursday reported an increase in mortality rates during the > month of December 2000. > > The report said 11,421 people died in December from different > illnesses ``caused by sanctions imposed on Iraq.'' The ministry > reported 10,132 deaths the month before. In December 1989, > 850 deaths were reported. > > A Trade Ministry report on Sunday said Iraq has received only 41 > percent of medicine and medical supplies ordered under the > U.N.-approved oil-for-food program. > > __________________________________________________ > > UN Concerned on Iraq Spending > > UNITED NATIONS (AP) _ Despite Iraqi complaints that U.N. > sanctions are punishing ordinary Iraqis, the United Nations said > Thursday that Baghdad was not taking advantage of all the > humanitarian aid available to it. > > Iraq only purchased about half the aid it was entitled to in the > second half of last year under the oil-for-food program, Benon > Sevan, the program's director, said in a letter to the U.N. > sanctions committee. > > The program lets Iraq, which has been barred by U.N. sanctions > from selling its oil since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, sell oil > provided it spends the money from the sales on food, medicines > and other humanitarian goods. > > Sevan said he was gravely concerned about the slowdown in > Iraqi purchases and appealed to the Iraqis to take advantage of > the money available from oil sales to care for its people. > > He said he was especially worried that Iraq's health care, > education, water sanitation and oil industries were being > neglected by the ``unacceptably slow rate'' of purchases by > government authorities. > > Applications for purchases in health care were for $83.6 million > of a possible $642.7 million ``despite all the concerns > expressed regarding the nutritional and health status of the Iraqi > people.'' Overall, Iraq bought $4.2 billion worth of goods while it > was entitled to $7.8 billion available in the last six months of > 2000, Sevan wrote. > > Sevan said contracts to buy food had surpassed what was > allocated. > > Calls to Iraq's U.N. mission seeking comment were not > immediately returned. > > Diplomats have suggested that the cutback in purchasing > supplies was part of an attempt by Iraq to strangle the program > and deprive it of cash, with the aim of increasing support for > eliminating the U.N. sanctions altogether. > > Iraq has always viewed the program as a way for the United > States and Britain to justify maintaining the decade-old embargo > on the country. Allowing the program to falter could garner > sympathy from countries who have supported sanctions as long > as Iraqis were being cared for by the United Nations. > > ``It's no secret that Saddam Hussein would like to see the > oil-for-food program be diminished,'' said Mary Ellen Glynn, > spokeswoman at the U.S. mission at the United Nations. > ``That's consistent with all his actions to date which are to > promote himself at the expense of his people. > > ``The oil-for-food program is designed to help the Iraqi people. > > He has the power to ease their suffering and should do so > immediately.'' In the last few months, Iraq has made a series of > demands to alter the program _ changes that the United Nations > has said has cost the Iraqis hundreds of millions of dollars in > lost revenue. > > In October, Iraq switched the bank accounts of the program from > dollars to euros despite warnings that the move could cost as > much as 10 cents per barrel in currency conversion costs as > well as lost interest revenue. > > In addition, the U.N. program lost $1 billion last month when Iraq > halted oil exports in a pricing dispute. > > While Iraqi Oil Minister Amer Mohammed Rashid predicted this > week that oil output would reach previous levels by the end of > January, the program has lost another $380 million in the first 10 > days of the month, U.N. statistics showed this week. > > Iraq has also asked to divert 1 billion euros, or $945.7 million, > from its oil proceeds to Palestinians to support their uprising > against Israel. > > And just this week, President Saddam Hussein signaled he > wanted to donate 100 million euros, or $94 million, to poor > Americans - on the condition that the sanctions committee > supervises how the money is spent. > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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