UN chief gets a message from al-Sahaf

Iraq has described the oil-for-food agreement with the US as "useless." It called upon UN Secretary General Kofi Amman to admit the failure of this agreement and to lift the trade sanctions imposed on Iraq.

In a message he sent to the UN chief on Wednesday, Iraqi Foreign Minister Muhammad Saeed al-Sahaf asked Amman to frankly announce the failure of the oil-for-food program in alleviating the sufferings of the Iraqi people.

Al-Sahaf indicated that these sanctions made Iraq unable to export the permitted quantities of oil according to the said program, due to the deteriorated oil industry in the country and the complex method of handling the implementation of contracts.

Al-Sahaf also indicated that there are obstacles placed by the sanctions committee founded by the UN Security Council to monitor the Iraqi oil exports.

The Iraqi minister said that the sole way to end the crisis of the Iraqi people is through unconditional lifting of the economic embargo on Iraq, as a legal right the UN has to offer to Iraq.