Iraq balks at U.N. staff for oil-for-food deal .
Evelyn Leopold
UNITED NATIONS 1996-08-28
Iraq has balked at the number of U.N. staff needed to implement the oil-for-food deal , blaming the United States for insisting on stringent monitoring .
In comments to reporters and a statement on Tuesday , Iraqi diplomats said the cost of the monitors and other staff , which Baghdad has to finance , surpasses funds allocated for electricity , water , sewers , education and agriculture .
At issue was a May 20 agreement allowing Iraq to sell $ 2 billion worth of oil to purchase badly needed food , medicine and other supplies to ease the impact of sanctions in force since its troops invaded Kuwait in August 1990 .
The Iraqi statement said the United States was " interfering and pressing to augment the number of international staff and this is not legal and not justified . "
Iraq 's deputy ambassador , Saeed Hasan , noted that the May 20 accord said that the number of personnel would be determined by the United Nations and that the government of Iraq would be consulted .
Saeed in his comments did not threaten to call off the deal and the U.N. officials said they expected it to go into force next month after Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali reports that arrangements are in place .
The U.N. Department of Humanitarian Affairs ( DHA ) , which has to coordinate the distribution of food , medicine and other goods , increased the number of monitors earlier this month at the insistence of the United States .
According to U.N. officials and diplomats , Iraq would have about $ 1.13 billion to spend for food , medicine and other goods after monies for a reparations fund for Gulf War victims and costs for U.N. weapons inspections were deducted .
The cost of the U.N. staff overseeing the distribution of food and other supplies was estimated to cost $ 31 million .
In addition another $ 12 million was anticipated to cover other expenses , such as oil experts and administrative costs .
For the distribution and supervision of humanitarian supplies the United Nations estimated it needed 1,190 people , including 267 international staff and 923 Iraqi support staff .
Of this number 64 foreign and 598 local staff would be in the northern Kurdish provinces , no longer the direct control of the Baghdad government .
Another 203 international staff and 325 Iraqis would run the programme in the central and southern parts of the country .
There are also 14 monitors to watch oil flows , 32 customs experts and four New York-based oil experts or overseers to approve contracts .
Yasushi Akashi , the DHA undersecretary-general , told the Security Council last week that the " financial requirements to support the ( humanitarian ) programme represent a very modest percentile of the total ...
roughly 3 percent . "