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> > > > > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > > Date: Wed, 3 Nov 1999 06:55:15 -0600 (CST) > > From: Ali Abunimah <ahabunim@midway.uchicago.edu> > > ________________________________________________________________________ > > > > > > Sickening..... > > > > > > Agence France Presse > > > > November 03, 1999 09:33 GMT > > HEADLINE: UN sanctions panel blocks Iraqi contract for heart-lung machines > > > > BODY: > > > > The UN sanctions committee has blocked an Iraqi contract to import 16 > > heart and lung machines, for fear that part of the order could be put to > > military use, the United Nations said Wednesday. > > > > "The reason given for the hold is the need for further technical > > specifications and a concern that one item is on the list of ... potential > > dual-use items," the UN humanitarian programme said in a weekly update. > > > > It said each heart and lung machine includes a computer for monitoring the > > patient's condition. > > > > Iraq's health ministry submitted the contract -- for which a value was not > > given -- for approval on August 17 and it was put "on hold" on October 14, > > the UN said. > > > > The equipment is manufactured in Denmark and is to be supplied by a > > Jordanian firm. > > > > The humanitarian programme is "working with the concerned missions to > > provide the information requested," according to the UN statement. > > > > Baghdad has repeatedly accused US and British representatives on the > > sanctions committee -- which has to approve Iraq's foreign contracts -- of > > using fake pretexts to block its imports. > > > > Iraq has been under sanctions ever since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. But > > it has for the last three years been authorised to export crude under > > strict UN supervision in return for humanitarian supplies. > > > > Last month, UN humanitarian aid coordinator Hans von Sponeck criticised > > the sanctions panel. > > > > Many of its decisions were "a deterrent for the implementation of the > > humanitarian programme," he said, complaining that the committee was > > blocking an increasing number of requests for imports to Iraq. > > > > hc/bp/mb > > > > > > > -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To be removed/added, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk, NOT the whole list. Please do not send emails with attached files to the list *** Archived at http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/discuss.html ***