Iraq Accuses U.S., Britain for Unjustifiably Holding ContractsIraq Monday accused the United States and Britain for unjustifiably holding medical contracts urgently needed for Iraqi hospitals.A statement from Iraq's mission to the United Nations said the "oil-for-food" program has not only failed to stop the deterioration in the humanitarian situation in Iraq, but also failed to achieve its modest humanitarian objectives. The statement said that since the start of the program in December 1996 until September 2000, there have been 1,226 contracts, amounting to 2.2 billion U.S. dollars, for humanitarian goods and oil spare parts contracts put on hold. The United States and Britain are abusing their membership in the U.N. sanctions committee through placing contracts on hold under the pretext that these are "dual use" items, the statement said. It shows clearly that the U.S. and Britain are pursuing a policy of genocide against the Iraqi people, the statement added. The "oil-for-food" program was aimed to ease the humanitarian crisis in Iraq caused by the sanctions which has been in place for 10 years. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan last Wednesday expressed his serious concern over the large number of holds placed by the sanctions committee on Iraq's contracts for supplies under the "oil-for-food" program. |
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