ACCESSION NUMBER:00000

FILE ID:97122904.TXT

DATE:12/29/97

TITLE:29-12-97  TEXT:  STATE DEPARTMENT ON HUMANITARIAN FLIGHTS TO IRAQ



TEXT:

(Welcomes humanitarian shipments of food, medicine) (260)



Washington -- The State Department says it welcomes the U.N. Sanctions

Committee's approval of Russian and Icelandic flights that delivered

food and medicine to Iraq.



Acting Spokeman James Foley expressed hope that the Iraqi people would

benefit from the humanitarian donations.



"As the U.S. Government has made clear since the Gulf War," he said in

a December 24 release, "we have no quarrel with the Iraqi people, and

stand ready to support legitimate efforts to provide humanitarian

assistance to them."



Following is the State Department text:



(begin text)



STATEMENT BY JAMES B. FOLEY, ACTING SPOKESMAN



DECEMBER 24, 1997



The U.S. welcomes the U.N. Sanctions Committee's approval today of a

Russian and an Icelandic flight delivering donations of food and

medicine to Iraq. We hope that the Iraqi people will benefit from

these humanitarian donations.



The U.S. notes that the U.N. Sanctions Committee has always been

prepared to consider individual flights to Iraq on their merits,

especially those of a humanitarian nature, in spite of prohibitions on

air travel to and from Iraq. We are pleased that the Russian and

Iranian governments sought proper approval from the U.N. for the

Russian flight before allowing it to continue to Iraq from Iran.



As the U.S. Government has made clear since the Gulf War, we have no

quarrel with the Iraqi people, and stand ready to support legitimate

efforts to provide humanitarian assistance to them.



(end text)

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