NEGATIVE/ROGUES/IRAQ

THE SUFFERING OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE IS NOT DUE TO SANCTIONS

FOOD AND MEDICAL PROBLEMS IN IRAQ COULD BE SOLVED TOMORROW IF THE RULERS WOULD RELEASE SUPPLIES THEY HAVE

EDITORIAL; The Dominion (Wellington) January 18, 2001 SECTION: FEATURES; Pg. 10 HEADLINE: Keep pressure on Saddam //VT2002acsln

In fact, malnutrition and medical shortfalls could be eliminated tomorrow, if only the ruling clique would distribute stocks already in the country. Instead, the regime stores them in warehouses or, worse, repackages and re-exports them, condemning its own people to suffer needlessly in order to curry sympathy abroad and advance its own political agenda.

IN IRAQ THE PEOPLE SUFFER BECAUSE SADDAM HUSSEIN DIVERTS FUNDS FROM HUMAN NEEDS

Aryeh Neier, president of the Open Society Institute. January 28, 2001, The New York Times SECTION: Section 4; Page 15; HEADLINE: Sanctions Are a Weapon We Need //VT2002acsln

A widely criticized consequence of sanctions is that they harm ordinary citizens living under the governments that are the targets. This is certainly the case in Iraq. Saddam Hussein is trying to force the international community to lift sanctions by doing nothing to ameliorate the impact of the sanctions on the Iraqi population.

It is possible to design sanctions to minimize such impact. The United Nations did take steps to ease the plight of Iraqi citizens by introducing the oil-for-food program, which allowed Iraq to sell oil and use the proceeds, monitored by the United Nations, to buy food and medicine. But the situation remains dire in Iraq, to a great extent because Saddam Hussein has not spent the money on the humanitarian needs of his people.

IRAQ ALREADY HAS MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND MEDICINES IT LOCKS AWAY OR SELLS FOR CASH

Richard C. Hottelet, long-time correspondent for CBS. March 14, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 11 HEADLINE: Why the UN must hold firm on Iraq //VT2002acsln

Iraqi society has been scraping along in poverty. Nevertheless, Saddam Hussein for five years refused the UN's offer of food for oil. Since 1996, Iraq has legally exported more than $ 40 billion worth of petroleum. This money has gone into an escrow account that Iraq can draw on only with UN permission. Contracting for imports and their distribution everywhere but in the Kurdish north is done by Iraq itself. The UN has criticized the process as slow, inadequate, and incompetent. While hospitals cried for supplies, the UN found a locked warehouse full. Medicines were found to be re-exported for hard currency.

SMUGGLED OIL MONEY DOES NOT HELP THE IRAQI PEOPLE

Holger Jensen February 8, 2000, DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, SECTION: Local; Ed. Final; Pg. 26A HEADLINE: TYRANTS FATTEN ON SANCTIONS WHILE SUBJECTS SLOWLY STARVE // acs-ln-02-10-2000

The value of the smuggled oil, at current prices, is more than $3 million a day. It's a safe bet that little of this is used to benefit the Iraqi people. Saddam's personal wealth is estimated at more than $6 billion, and he is sixth richest on Forbes' list of ''Kings, Queens and Dictators.''

IRAQI GOVERNMENT HAS LOTS OF RESOURCES WHILE THE PEOPLE SUFFER

Holger Jensen February 8, 2000, DENVER ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, SECTION: Local; Ed. Final; Pg. 26A HEADLINE: TYRANTS FATTEN ON SANCTIONS WHILE SUBJECTS SLOWLY STARVE // acs-ln-02-10-2000

Since the Gulf War, Saddam has built more than 40 palaces and plush vacation resorts for himself, his family and friends. He has also rebuilt missile facilities destroyed by U.S. and British air raids in December 1998, and buildings that housed his chemical, biological and nuclear arms programs.

Meanwhile, Baghdad's health ministry says there have been 1.2 million sanctions-related deaths over the past nine years, many of them children felled by inadequate nutrition, lack of medicines and other erosions in the health care system. The figures may be suspect, but the suffering is well-documented by nongovernmental aid agencies.

IRAQ HAS MONEY TO SPEND HELPING OTHER COUNTRIES

Richard C. Hottelet, long-time correspondent for CBS. March 14, 2001, The Christian Science Monitor SECTION: OPINION; Pg. 11 HEADLINE: Why the UN must hold firm on Iraq //VT2002acsln

The UN oil-for-food program allows Iraq to sell its oil for humanitarian needs. There is no limit to the quantity of oil Hussein can sell, nor is there any limit on imports of food and medicine. He has plenty of money, legally and illegally. Recently, Iraq complained that it was not being allowed to allocate 1 million euros from its funds (out of spite, Baghdad no longer deals in US dollars) "to assist poor US citizens who live below the poverty line." Iraq also asserts it has sent hundreds of truckloads of food and medicine to "bolster the steadfastness of the people of Palestine," but says they've been stopped by Israel and are spoiling in Jordan.

SADDAM HUSSEIN HAS LOTS OF MONEY NOW

The Houston Chronicle February 26, 2001, SECTION: A; Pg. 22 HEADLINE: TEN YEARS AFTER; Saddam still too dangerous to be let out of his cage //VT2002acsln

Saddam, who claims not to have enough money to feed and medicate his people, is giving $ 10,000 bonuses to Palestinian families that contribute martyrs in the conflict against Israel. Saddam has all but declared war on Israel, announcing that he is training 300,000 troops to march on Jerusalem.