Iraqi intelligence director: I was following the order
Iraq, Politics, 4/25/2003

The UN security council has unanimously agreed to extend the authority of the UN supervision of the program which uses the revenues of selling the Iraqi oil to buy food and medicine for the Iraqi people until the third of June, two weeks before the end of the date set for its termination on May 12.

In March, the "oil for food program" was reviewed and extended for 45 days in order to give the UN secretary general Kofi Annan a control to ensure the humanitarian commodities. Some 60% of the Iraqi people of 24 million population depend on the program in having nutritional needs.

The program which was first implemented in December 1996 permits Iraq to sell oil for food and medicines and several civil commodities under the supervision of the UN. Annan who had evacuated more than 300 members of the UN employees in Iraq before the invasion of Iraq, had suspended work in the program upon the eruption of the war.

Since the eruption of the war, Iraq has not sold any oil because there is no recognized Iraqi government to sign the contracts. However, the program still has 13 billion dollars to cover the costs of civil commodities, of which 1 billion dollars can be used to accelerate sending food and medicines.

On the other hand, the UN secretary general Kofi Annan called on the American- British coalition forces to shoulder their responsibility as an occupation force against civilians in Iraq and to honor Geneva treaties on the war prisoners precisely. Annan's statement came before representatives of the 53rd countries, members at the UN human rights committee which is meeting in Geneva and concludes today in Geneva its 59th session following 6- weeks meetings.

This recalling by Annan surprised the representatives of the USA in Geneva and raised their regret, they stressed that Washington had honored such obligations.

Immediately, the US ambassador at the UN Kaven Molley invited journalists to tell them that he considers the recalling by the UN secretary general as "strange," because Washington had expressed "clearly since the first day" its determination to honor the international humanitarian laws in Iraq.

Annan also renewed his criticism of the USA for launching the war against Iraq without the consent of the UN. He added this resulted in deep divisions and rifts. He indicated the need to forget these rifts "if we want to organize the post- war Iraq effectively." In another development, Lt. Gen. Zuheir Taleb Abdul Sattar al-Naqib, the director of the military intelligence in the former Iraqi regime said he was just performing his military duty and that he is not a war criminal. In a statement he had before he surrendered himself to the American forces, published on Thursday by the Los Angeles Times, Taleb denied he was a criminal. Al-Naqib, wanted by the US, said he was a mere military man obeying his leader Saddam Hussein. He added " it is the army.. I was only following the orders." He added "it was not in the hand of any Iraq to leave the army unless the government decides so." Al-Naqib who spent 35 years in the lines of the Iraqi army said he will not answer a question raised by the paper if he believes in 'the Iraqi regime.'" Concerning the mass destruction weapons, the former Iraqi official denied by a hand gesture that these weapon exist in Iraq.

He expressed hope that the next Iraqi government will be fair and governed "by law." He indicated he can "stay in Iraq to live like any other ordinary man."

Previous Stories:
  Mubarak meets Iraqi independents' bloc delegation   (4/24/2003)
  France's position regarding Iraq   (4/24/2003)
  Annan said UN inspectors should go back   (4/24/2003)

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