Dear Supporters of the Iraq Sanctions Challenge,

We received a fax this afternoon from the delegation, about their latest activities.  Details about last night’s demonstration which were not available on time to be put in the press release are here, as are important details about the DU investigation.

Update for 1/17/01

On Tuesday the delegation visited the Al Karka elementary school. Children were in exams when they arrived. Claudia Lefko and Katherine Wolfwood showed some drawings done by children in Mass. For Children in Iraq.  They presented the principal with art supplies and left the pictures there.  They will return the next day with  the hope that the children they met in Iraq would make paintings and drawings for the children of their classes.

We went to a large a food distribution center and were given a tour of the facilities. The Iraqi Rationing system has been praised by several UN organizations as one of the very best. The food prices are subsidized by the Government. Each person  receives ration cards that are good for one month. The ration per person is 2 kilos sugar, 3 kilos Rice, 3 Kilos flour , 350 gram soup, 159 grams tea, 25 kilos cooking oil, salt , for babies 8 cans of mil and 2 cans of baby food.

The population of Iraq is between 23 and 24 million, and each one is counted by computer.

The delegation went to Babylon in the afternoon and learned about the history  of one of the best known historical sites in the world.

In the evening, the delegation visited, the Iraq women’s federation and spoke with Director Dr. Razaq. The federation is open to all women all religions and different stratas. There are close to 2000 centers in the country. In 1977,  70.7 %  women were illiterate, in 1990, only 12 % were illiterate. Under the embargo, illiteracy rates have worsened. Women needed to wash cloth by hand, sew, cook and read and tend to any sick children. Many women have to leave their jobs because these activities are so time consuming. Children may have to quit school to help earn money to support the family. The director said: “ The biggest problem for female students is that they cannot get scientific references.” The federation had programs for reproductive education and health. On average, the Iraqi family has 5 children.

The demonstration was large and very militant. Thousands  (1 or 2) marched to a UN building and had an angry protest. US and Israeli flags were burned. Chants “ Down, Down   USA” , “ Down, Down British crown”. The students were from Iraq and Arab and African countries. Other participants included a delegation from Belgium that rode bicycles from Amman to Baghdad. Our delegation was mentioned in the Iraqi media.

On Wednesday, the delegation split into 2 groups. One group went to Samara to visit the State Enterprise for drug Industries and Medical Appliances.  They can produce 100-150 different products and can supply 80% of Iraq’s drug needs.

After Iraq signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the UN 4 ½ years ago, they thought things would improve.  But the U.S. has blocked many contracts that could improve the situation.  For example, under ideal conditions a pharmaceutical company would replace its production machinery every 10-15 years.  The production lines in this factory were 25 years old.  The Industry was in the process of buying new lines after the Iran-Iraq war.  These production lines were stopped because of the sanctions. Right now if they want to make 1 million tablets, they would only get 100,000 to 150,000 good enough to use.  Normally a new machine might get 950,000 to 960,000 good pills.

A smaller delegation of the Sanctions Challenge flew to Basra to investigate the devastation caused by DU. About DU, the director of the Women’s Federation said “It is time for the world to know the criminal act that has been committed by the U.S. against Iraq.  Because of DU, cancer is spreading.”  A large party of Basra officials and local doctors, experts on DU met Ramsey Clark and ISC delegates at the Basra airport.

Ramsey Clark and anti-DU activist Damacio López traveled 150 kilometers southwest of Basra to the sight of Iraqi tanks that had been destroyed by DU shells.  Lopez did reading for Radiation.

The rest of the delegation visited Basra Pediatric hospital, attended a DU briefing conducted by medical doctors and other researchers on this issue. They also visited victims of the January ’99 US bombing of a Basra neighborhood.

Before the student demonstration on the 10th anniversary of the war, Ramsey Clark said,  “The greatest hope is in the children, and the U.S. killing, stunting, and harming an entire generation in Iraq, and it must be stopped now”

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