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http://www.caabu.org/press/letters/benonsevan.html Please add your feedback: http://www.caabu.org/press/letters/benonsevanadd.html This letter was published in today's Financial Times. Chris Doyle Financial Times 21 August 2000 UN 'hold' on contracts worth $1.7bn threaten aid to Iraqis One has to wonder why no major British broadsheet covered the comments of Benon Sevan, the director of Office of the Iraq Programme just before he left Iraq last week. He criticised the UN Security Council for the "excessive" number of holds on purchasing contracts for the humanitarian programme. According to Mr Sevan, the value of the contracts on hold is a staggering $1.7 bn. Theses holds are preventing the smooth running of the operation. As Mr Sevan stated: "You can't distribute supplies if you don't have trucks." Moreover, the lifeline of the Iraqi economy, the oil industry, is seriously under threat because 21 per cent of the applications on hold are related to oil supplies. This senior UN official has been praised even by the US and the UK. So will they now listen to him, and take the minimal steps necessary to help the people of Iraq? Chris Doyle Chris Doyle Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding 21 Collingham Road London SW5 0NU Tel: 020 7373 8414 Fax: 020 7835 2088 Mobile 07968 040 281 www.caabu.org -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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