Iraq suspends medicine imports

The director general of the general company for importing medicines and Iraqi medical requirements, Abdul Wadoud Mahmoud al-Taleibi, stressed that the Iraqi ministry of health abrogated most of medicine import contracts signed by the former regime in Iraq, in the framework of the "oil for food program," because of the bad quality of the imported goods.

The Iraqi official told yesterday the Iraqi TV, which is supervised by the occupation forces, that "all items that used to be imported by the former regime, and the made bids, paid a commission of 10% for the regime," and therefore they were importing bad quality goods. The Iraqi official added that all contracts were abrogated, except very few ones that are agreed to be imported under new contracts, after direct contacts were made with the manufacturing companies." The "oil for food" program used to aloow Iraq, using oil revenues, to pay within the sanctions imposed on it to buy medicines and foodstuffs. the UN Security Council ended this program last month and its administration was transferred to the American- British occupation authorities.