DATE=10/10/1999
TYPE=EDITORIAL
TITLE=EDITORIAL: IRAQ MAY EXPORT MORE OIL
NUMBER=0-08480
CONTENT=
THIS IS THE ONLY EDITORIAL BEING RELEASED
FOR BROADCAST 10/10/99.
Anncr: The Voice of America presents differing
points of view on a wide variety of issues. Next,
an editorial expressing the policies of the United
States Government:
Voice: This month, the United Nations Security
Council approved a substantial increase in the
amount of oil that Iraq is allowed to export. The
council has authorized Iraq to sell more than
eight billion dollars' worth of oil over the six-
month period ending November 20th. Iraq has been
subject to international sanctions since Saddam
Hussein's aggression against Kuwait in 1990. But
under the U-N's oil-for-food program, Iraq has
been allowed to sell increasingly large amounts of
oil and use the bulk of the proceeds to buy food,
medicine and other humanitarian goods.
The main reason for increasing Iraq's oil export
ceiling was to make up for shortfalls in sales
when oil prices were lower. But the U-N Security
Council vote also gives the lie to those who blame
international sanctions for food and medicine
shortages that have caused terrible suffering,
especially among Iraqi children.
Contrary to Iraqi claims - which have been
endlessly repeated by gullible journalists -
sanctions have never applied to food and medicine.
Moreover, under the oil-for-food program, Iraq is
exporting nearly as much oil as it did before
sanctions were imposed. But while Iraq has ample
money to buy food and medicine, the Baghdad regime
is not buying all that is needed - or even
distributing all that it does buy. Indeed, more
than two hundred million dollars' worth of medical
supplies are reported to be sitting undistributed
in Iraqi warehouses.
The tragedy in Iraq is that Saddam Hussein is
finding other uses for money that should be going
to help preserve the health of children. Saddam
has spent at least two billion dollars on
luxurious palaces for himself and his ruling
clique. The most recent extravagance is a
lakeside resort called Saddam's Tharthar [Thahr-
thahr] city, which has sports stadiums, an
amusement park, restaurants, medical facilities,
and housing for some six hundred favored Iraqi
officials.
By increasing the amount of oil that Iraq may
export, U-N Security Council members hope to help
the Iraqi people. But whether their suffering
actually will be eased, unfortunately, is still up
to Saddam Hussein.
Anncr: That was an editorial expressing the
policies of the United States Government. If you
have a comment, please write to Editorials, V-O-A,
Washington, D-C, 20547, U-S-A. You may also
comment at www-dot-voa-dot-gov-slash-editorials,
or fax us at (202) 619-1043.
08-Oct-1999 12:16 PM EDT (08-Oct-1999 1616 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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