- BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Dozens of Iraqis and other Arabs chanting "This
is the tyranny of the United States," took part on Monday in a funeral
procession for 27 children Baghdad said had died because of U.N. economic
santions.
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- The coffins of the children, carried
by 27 white taxis, were driven to the headquarters of the United Nations
in Baghdad before being buried at a local cemetery.
-
- The names and ages of the dead children
were written on the coffins.
-
- The procession was led by Iraqi men and
women and Arab students attending a conference in support of Iraq's efforts
to get nearly nine years of U.N. sanctions lifted.
-
- Baghdad says the sanctions, imposed for
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, have claimed the lives of more than
1.5 million people.
-
- Iraq is allowed to sell oil worth $5.26
billion for food and medicine every six months under a deal with the United
Nations.
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- Baghdad says the pact does not alleviate
the suffering of its people and demands the full lifting of sanctions.
It accuses the United States of blocking the suspension of the embargo.
-
- Washington says the sanctions cannot
be lifted before the international community is satisfied that Iraq has
destroyed all its weapons of mass destruction.
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