By Susan Domowitz
Washington File staff writer

A recent Iraq News Agency report, dated March 4, claims that the United States and Britain are responsible for obstructing contracts on children's measles vaccines destined for Iraq. But according to Ambassador James A. Larocco, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, this report is not true.

"United Nations and U.S. records show no holds on measles vaccine contracts," Larocco told the Washington File on March 13. Four million doses of measles vaccine were approved for Iraq under the provisions of the Oil for Food program on June 15, 2001.

United Nations records show that Iraq submitted no contracts for measles vaccine for the current Oil for Food (OFF) period of December 1, 2001 through May 30, 2002, or for the OFF period of July 4, 2001 through November 30, 2001.

The UN Secretary General, in his letter of January 4, 2002, noted that Iraq's allocation for drugs and medical supplies in central and southern Iraq does not reflect the scale of resources required, and is a marked reduction from previous requests.

"With the improved funding level for the program, the Government of Iraq is indeed in a position to address the nutritional and health concerns of the Iraqi people, particularly the nutritional status of children," the letter states.

Following the June 15 approval of four million doses of measles vaccine, newspapers in northern Iraq (which is not under Baghdad's control, and where the United Nations distributes food and medicine) reported in February 2002 that the authorities were distributing the vaccine to Iraqi children in the north. Furthermore, even children in the center and south -- about one million of them -- were being vaccinated, according to the Iraqi regime's own news agency.

"The Iraqi regime not only obstructs the Oil for Food Program, but lies about it. No measles vaccines were prevented by the U.S. from entering Iraq," Larocco said.

John D. Negroponte, in remarks at Georgetown University on February 27, noted while the international community looks for ways to address the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people, the Baghdad regime subverts these efforts.

"We do not pursue a policy designed to injure the Iraqi people. The opposite is the case. For years the U.S. has supported and improved the UN Oil for Food program to address the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people. It works, and would work better if Baghdad cooperated with it instead of cynically obstructing its benefits for the ordinary Iraqi," Negroponte said.

The U.S. is currently engaged in a major effort to free up trade in civilian goods to help the Iraqi people. The United Kingdom proposed almost a year ago that controls should be more sharply focused on prohibited dual use and military technologies, while lifting controls on civilian and humanitarian goods that could help the Iraqi people. But according to the State Department, the Iraqi regime has strongly opposed this effort, preferring the existing system, which it manipulates to enhance its control over the Iraqi people.

While the international community works toward agreement on a new Goods Review List aimed at freeing up civilian and humanitarian imports into Iraq, the Baghdad regime continues to mislead the international public, Larocco said. "The Baghdad regime tries to divert attention from the fact that it, the regime, is the source of the suffering in Iraq."

"The bottom line," Larocco emphasized, "is that the U.S. -- far from preventing shipment of measles vaccine to Iraq -- is actively seeking ways to use the Oil for Food program to alleviate Iraqis' suffering."