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http://www.sky.com/news/world/story8.htm UK & US SLAMMED FOR STRIKES ON IRAQ Britain and the United States have been severely criticised by fellow members of the UN Security Council for bombing Iraq. There were many bones of contention between the world's strongest powers as they discussed the UN's oil-for-food programme. The Council agreed to extend the plan, with only minutes of the meeting to spare. It means Iraq will be able to sell oil in return for food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies for another six months. Other members of the Security Council, notably Russia, are angry at the continuing sanctions, which they say are making the people of Iraq suffer, and at the ongoing bombing of Iraqi territory. 'Who gave you permission?' "I would very much like to know in what specific Security Council resolution is the term 'no-fly zone' actually used?" said Russian Ambassador to the UN, Sergei Lavrov, who took the floor three times during the debate. "In what specific resolution does it say that force can be used over more than 60 percent of the Iraqi territory from the air?" The two no-fly zones, covering the north and south of Iraq, were instituted without reference to the UN by the US, Britain and France after the 1991 Gulf War, and then expanded, to the anger of France. 'Suffering down to sanctions' At the meeting Britain and France successfully appealed for a study on the humanitarian situation in Iraq. But Russia and China said it was clear the situation was desperate, and the causes were obvious. "We believe the humanitarian suffering of the Iraqi civilians is mainly a consequence of the 10 years of sanctions," said Chinese envoy Shen Guofang. The Security Council has been unable to repeal the sanctions, because some Western nations, including Britain and the US, have refused unless UN weapons inspectors are allowed back into Iraq. They were expelled by Saddam Hussein, amid suspicion that they were spying for the US and Israel. The West counters the claims that sanctions are responsible for poverty in Iraq, with evidence that Saddam's regime deliberately diverts aid from the population. . ===== Iraq Resource Information Site http://www.geocities.com/iraqinfo American Intifada http://www.egroups.com/group/American_Intifada Go to http://www.getpaid4.com/cgi-bin/emailpanel.cgi?userid=782644 to receive FREE newsletters via email! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos -- now, 100 FREE prints! http://photos.yahoo.com -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk Full details of CASI's various lists can be found on the CASI website: http://welcome.to/casi