The following is a fax received this afternoon, Sunday, January 14th, 5:15 pm, from the delegation in Iraq. It contains the group's doings, quotes, facts, and upcoming plans.

(From Deirdre S.)

"It is a siege to achieve unjustified objectives.  We hold on in spite of the suffering and the pain and we will continue to hold on for as long as necessary.  We know that if we give up we will lose Iraq".

"In the North, the Kurdish area, the area is under US/UN control. These are two major cities.  Each city has its own government.  Their own prime ministers and their own relations with outside countries. They have battles and arguments with ache other.  They are totally divided.  They are under U.S. control.  This is what the rest of Iraq would be like".

"Show us a country that has cooperated with the US in the last 15 years, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, that has an improved situation".

About U.N.S.C. Resolution 1284:  American and British say we must let inspectors in, then the embargo is over, but if you read the Document in 39 articles it never says that the sanctions will be lifted.  Only one article says that the Security Council can lift the sanctions, but only for 120 days.  After that it must be reviewed.  The dropping of the embargo must be voted on by security council every 6 months.  The US must say yes.  But if Iraq is caught in the process of buying "prohibited materials" or if the inspections teams or the IAEA write a negative letter, the sanctions are renewed automatically.

Resolution 1284 goes on to demand that Iraq allow immediate, unconditional and Unrestricted access to documents, equipment, vehicles, personnel.  This includes Iraqi gov't personnel.

This agreement would put the sanctions in a new ball game. Resolution 1284 is permanent, while oil for food is temporary.

Oil for Food in the Reporting Period December 1996 to July 2000.
(according to Kofi Annan's report):

$32 billion in oil sold
        $8 billion of that reached Iraq
30% of the total went to compensation
1.5 billion went to maintain US operations
12 billion are frozen in the B&P bank
3.5 billion are in contracts that the 661 committee has yet to approve -
(contracts for electrical, health, culture, education, water and others)

If you look at the numbers, 8 billion that Iraq gets:
4 years = 2 billion per year
2 billion = 166 million per month
166 million / 23 million people = roughly $7 per person per month

*UNSCOM (Or whatever the new inspections regime is) invented new procedures that must prove negatives.  Iraq must prove it has good intentions toward its neighbors. (How do you do that?)

*this new "Pilot Situation" - they turned over all pilots in 1991 after the cease fire.

*$600 million in electrical contracts sitting in 661 committee.  If they could get those contracts filled, we could get electricity to all the villages.  They would have 24 hours.  Items turned down by 661 committee:  pumps, telephones, chlorine, tires for trucks, mobile phones.

Ramsey said:  "this siege is genocide.  The progress that Iraq has made must not be lost at 12 noon on Saturday, January 20th, when George Bush is inaugurated.  Inspection teams and Oil-for-food are both frauds from the beginning.  There is not justification for the sanctions.  They are a war by other means".

Delegation visited:

Amariyah bomb Shelter

Very moving.  This shelter was in residential neighborhood.  Because of the war, the neighborhood had no electricity or water, so people went there to be safe from the bombs.  On Feb. 13th, 1991, at 4am, 1 tomahawk penetrator missile came through the ceiling, creating a huge hole and minutes later a second bomb incinerated every one there.  408 killed.  14 survivors (estimated).

Saddam Children's Hospital:

Director of hospital Dr. Sami Delani.  They have 360 beds.  They see 1000 a day.  They admit 100 a day and must release 100 a day.  Most common infections - Gastrointeritis, malnutrition, infectious diseases - diarreah, measles, polio, hepatitis, they have had an increase in leukemia, carcinoma, bone cancer, cervix cancer has increased.  They have passed through a different situation, still the santation is not good, most equipment is out of order.  In the 1980's Iraq had an excellent vaccination program, now they don't have this at all.  Number of Leukemias 3 times higher.  Abnormal deliveries with multiple birth defects increased 3 fold.  661 committee denied a contract for bags for blood transfusions.  They reuse disposable syringes ad catheters and have no text books - only gotten from delegations.

In the afternoon we visited a mosque and the market.

We plan to go to:  Moustanserya University, Babylon, Water purification and Water Sewage plant, Food distribution center, national museum, iraqi women's federation, Demo for 10th anniversary, City of Samara, Pharmaceutical Plant, Aasra, DU cites to meet Tariq Aziz, minister of health.

PS from Sarat:

This is a very good delegation - serious, committed folks.   Everyone is working very well together. There are many other delegations here in Baghdad from other countries.  Hotel Al Rashid is full for the first time. A lot of press is here for the 10th anniversary.  We flew in at 5 pm sat, Jan 13th.  A lot of press met us at the airport in Baghdad.  All medicine and supplies arrived safely also.

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