Iraq Reportedly Barring Some Relief Workers

In another move toughening Iraq’s stand against the West after last month’s bombardments, the government has decided it will no longer accept U.S. and British citizens working for the U.N. humanitarian aid program, diplomats said Saturday.

Iraq has told U.N. officials in Baghdad of the decision but has apparently not issued a written directive, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The diplomats said Iraq has stopped issuing or extending visas for Britons and Americans working for the program that supervises the distribution of food under its oil-for-food deal with the United Nations.

It was not immediately clear if Iraq has ordered Britons or Americans to leave.

U.N. representatives in Iraq and New York would not confirm the report.

They also declined to say how many U.N. relief workers are American or British citizens. But the diplomats said there could not be more than a dozen, as the 420 relief personnel were drawn from scores of countries.

It is the first time that Baghdad has singled out Americans and Britons in the humanitarian aid program. It has long accused Americans and Britons working for the U.N. weapon inspection team of being spies. A year ago, Iraq briefly expelled the American inspectors.

Iraq told the U.N. that it could not guarantee the safety of the British and American relief workers in the aftermath of last month’s bombardment, the diplomats said.

U.S. and British forces bombarded Iraqi military and communications sites Dec. 16-19 after U.N. inspectors accused Baghdad of obstructing their efforts to find evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Iraq says more than 40 civilians and 62 soldiers were killed in the attacks.