APPENDICES TO THE MINUTES OF EVIDENCE
TAKEN BEFORE THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE
APPENDIX 1
Memorandum submitted by Friendship Across
Frontiers (FAF)
In response to your Press Notice (PN 13.98/99)
dated 18 March 1999, I would like to present to the Committee
the following considerations and findings as a direct result of
my frequent visits since 1992 to sanctioned Iraq. I travelled
freely, being a British subject of Iraqi origin. Also I had the
opportunity to discuss my findings and reports with Senior Ministers
and Officials in Iraq, UK and Ireland. I will be prepared to attend
your oral session if so required.
BACKGROUND
FAF is a British organisation formed on the
second anniversary of the Gulf conflict. It campaigns for the
lifting of sanctions and encompasses members and supporters who
share the humanitarian aim to avert the suffering of the innocent
people. FAF is financed by donations.
EFFECT OF
SANCTIONS:
(i) Water and Sanitation: The early
bombing of 1991 has contributed to the severe deterioration of
the quality of sanitation, mainly due to the unavailability of
spare parts and scarcity of trained technicians, driven out of
the industry by inflation or forced migration outside Iraq, to
seek work. Furthermore, training is virtually non-existent. As
a result water related diseases, particularly among children,
are escalating. Sanctions have universally affected the health
of the nation.
(ii) Infrastructure: Transport is
a vital contribution to the mobility of products and productive
manpower. Again, unavailability of spares right across the board
has exasperated all efforts to contain inflation and placed further
strangulation on the people to have access to locally produced
food and material. Life in the rural areas is relatively better
than those in the city, but the cost of transportation plays a
major part in placing cheap products beyond the reach of the city
dweller.
Power generation has been disrupted since January
1991 and what the Iraqi engineers manage to cannibalise in machine
parts falls far short of sustaining an adequate service. It is
common to experience six to eight hours a day without power in
many parts of Iraq, hence tradesmen and technicians will be earning
less, forcing those struggling to survive down the spiral of poverty.
Lack of power may undo the use of medicine and
equipment for which the West allowed Iraq to sell oil in order
to sustain life. Students are unable to pursue their studies or
are forced to use candlelight. Depression, petty crime, disruption
of meal preparation are all by-products of disruptive power generation.
Also training for the future is near non existent.
The phone system which in a positive way keeps
people informed and counselled is in a dire state, due to the
microwave system and exchanges having been systematically targeted
by the British bombing. Trained technicians, are dwindling in
numbers and expertise, with insignificant training given to future
generations.
(iii) Health: Iraq's medical care
prior to 1990 was the best in the region and free, modelled on
the original NHS. Sanctions have disseminated the medical care
and practices to almost primitive techniques, and has contributed
to the re-introduction of eradicated diseases. HM Government consistently
states that food and medicine are exempt, but such non restrictions
only apply to the medication administered to the patient. The
requirement of modern hospitals goes beyond pills and medication;
Doctors are frustrated because they are capable, but starved of
medical advancement, denied the right to attend conferences furthering
their education. Their pay and conditions are poor and the same
applies to the nursing and ancillary staff. In fact the whole
medical service is near collapse as a direct result of sanctions.
The resources needed to upgrade the system goes beyond the proceeds
from UNSCR 986 and 1153.
(iv) Social: Society cannot function
by the provision of food and medicines alone. For the past nine
years the majority of the people have not enjoyed a holiday or
experienced relaxation. Children are losing the experience of
play, laughter, and proper development. Marriage is a financial
burden, placing tremendous strain on staying together. Childbirth
is hazardous and dangerous in the early development, due to the
poor quality of nourishing food and contamination of the environment
with toxicity and possible DU residues. Education is at its lowest
level crucially suffering with lack of teaching aids, quality
of teachers, and access to information. The media is restricted
by Government and sanctions and presents an absence of choice
to the majority. Official pay is miserably inadequate, forcing
most to supplement their income on bribery and corruption right
across the establishment. Petty crime and home insecurity were
practically unknown pror to sanctions. The environment is also
a victim of sanctions, mainly due to lack of maintenance, use
of counterfeit parts, and totally unsafe tyres, windscreens, and
lighting on most vehicles. Regrettably prostitution, which is
socially unacceptable, has been allowed in by sanctions.
Sanctions have introduced some positive changes.
Wastage was the norm—no longer. Recycling, taking any form
of work, development in agriculture, self-reliance and tapping
on latent resources have become part of sanctioned Iraqi society.
(v) Remarks: Sanctions are a draconian
universal punitive measure, targeting the vulnerable, the innocent
and weak, undermining rather than diminishing the infrastructure,
and introducing an element of social cleansing. They have sowed
dragon seeds of hatred and revenge in generations to come.
Iraq, with hindsight, made an error with regard
to UNSCOM. They co-operated fully in the initial 18 months. At
that time an inventory should have been established of remaining
work, and sanctions should have been eased pro rata. The continuation
of sanctions have brought elements of despair, hopelessness and
mistrust to both UNSCOM and the Iraqi regime.
Riad El-Taher
Chair, Friendship Across Frontiers
6 April 1999
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