Humanitarian Effects Of UK Policy On Iraq

EDM number 579 in 2002-03, proposed by Harry Cohen on 23/01/2003.

That this House notes that United Kingdom policy towards Iraq. prior to its support for the war effort of the United States, has had dire humanitarian consequences for the Iraqi people and this is confirmed by Mr Benon Sevan, the United Nations Under Secretary General in charge of Iraq's oil-for-food programme; notes that he has said that the new retroactive pricing initiative, introduced at the behest of the UK, whereby the Sanctions Committee sets the price for Iraqi oil several weeks after it is sold, along with the paralysis at that committee, has caused a 35 per cent. drop in the country's crude oil exports since November and that this has diminished the amount of money available for humanitarian aid; and further notes that the vast majority of Iraqi people hold to the view that western powers such as the United Kingdom, rather than Saddam Hussein are responsible for their economic impoverishment and that vindictive policies towards them such as the one highlighted by Mr Sevan give evidence of this.

This motion has been signed by a total of 25 MPs.