The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
Message text written by "Bert Gedin" >DAVID MELLOR, then a Foreign Office minister (+ Secretary to the Treasury?) was visiting Baghdad at the time. Within a month Defense Minister Tony Newton had returned to Baghdad to offer, on behalf of the British Thatcher government £340 million in export credits. < It would be extraordinary for Hansard to be so wrong and I suspect some serious misquotation here which, judging by the language, could be by based on some American source! As I have reported separately David Mellor (who was Minister of State at the FCO at the time) visited Baghdad on 24-25 February. I repeat that he was not there at the time of the attack on Halabja on 16 March. Tony Newton, who was Minister for Trade NOT "Defense Minister", did not return within a month to offer an enhanced line of credit. Tony Newton visted the Baghdad International Trade Fair on 5-7 November 1988, after the Iran/Iraq war had ended. As far as I remember the enhanced line of credit had already been announced. Terence Clark -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 CASI's website - www.casi.org.uk - includes an archive of all postings.