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U.S. plans post-Saddam humanitarian programs

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Wednesday, August 21, 2002

WASHINGTON Ñ U.S. officials are already preparing for a mine-clearing operation and other humanitarian projects to follow the overthow of the Saddam Hussein regime.

U.S. officials said the Bush administration plans to announce a tender for a range of projects in Iraq meant to deal with a post-war era. The State Dept. denied the programs were tied to plans for a military offensive against Iraq.

On July 10, the State Department announced in the Federal Register an open competition for proposals for humanitarian-assistance projects in Iraq and for Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries for a range of health care, housing and educational programs.

One of the programs is meant to educate Iraqis regarding the dangers of land mines as well as ways to eliminate them, Middle East Newsline reported. The announcement of the program, which would include central Iraq, was made by the State Department's Office of Northern Gulf Affairs, part of the Bureau of Near East Affairs.

The administration plans to allocate $6.6 million for the programs. The tender was closed on Aug. 1.

"It's intended to provide relief and access to basic life-sustaining resources for Iraqis and Iraqi refugees," State Department deputy spokesman Philip Reeker said.

Reeker denied any link between the Iraqi assistance programs and threats by the Bush administration to topple the Saddam regime. He said the funds were part of budgetary allocation for Iraqi opposition activities for fiscal 2001. Congress had allocated $12 million Iraqi for humanitarian relief.

The administration intends to release $8 million for the Iraqi National Congress, meant to finance the umbrella opposition group until the end of the year as well as establish a newspaper and television station and training. The money was suspended amid a State Department investigation of INC finances.

Officials said the INC and six other opposition groups would also receive defense material. They would not elaborate.

"We anticipate finalizing an agreement very soon," Reeker said. "You have to actually see the process through, but that's moving ahead."

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