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29 December 1997

TEXT: STATE DEPARTMENT ON HUMANITARIAN FLIGHTS TO IRAQ

(Welcomes humanitarian shipments of food, medicine) (260)
Washington -- The State Department says it welcomes the U.N. Sanctions
Committee's approval of Russian and Icelandic flights that delivered
food and medicine to Iraq.
Acting Spokeman James Foley expressed hope that the Iraqi people would
benefit from the humanitarian donations.
"As the U.S. Government has made clear since the Gulf War," he said in
a December 24 release, "we have no quarrel with the Iraqi people, and
stand ready to support legitimate efforts to provide humanitarian
assistance to them."
Following is the State Department text:
(begin text)
STATEMENT BY JAMES B. FOLEY, ACTING SPOKESMAN
DECEMBER 24, 1997
The U.S. welcomes the U.N. Sanctions Committee's approval today of a
Russian and an Icelandic flight delivering donations of food and
medicine to Iraq. We hope that the Iraqi people will benefit from
these humanitarian donations.
The U.S. notes that the U.N. Sanctions Committee has always been
prepared to consider individual flights to Iraq on their merits,
especially those of a humanitarian nature, in spite of prohibitions on
air travel to and from Iraq. We are pleased that the Russian and
Iranian governments sought proper approval from the U.N. for the
Russian flight before allowing it to continue to Iraq from Iran.
As the U.S. Government has made clear since the Gulf War, we have no
quarrel with the Iraqi people, and stand ready to support legitimate
efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to them.
(end text)