Playing Politics With Suffering?

Britain accused Iraq's President, Saddam Hussein, on Tuesday of exploiting the suffering of Palestinians and Iraqis by suspending oil exports in protest at Israel's military strikes into Palestinian cities.

Junior Foreign Office minister Ben Bradshaw said ordinary Iraqis, who have endured nearly 12 years of U.N. sanctions imposed for Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait, depended for vital food and medicines on the proceeds of the U.N.-supervised oil sales.

"Once again, Saddam Hussein is playing politics with people's suffering — exploiting the suffering of the Palestinians for his own political purposes and ignoring the suffering of the Iraqis under his oppression," said Bradshaw in a statement.

Meanwhile, Iran said Tuesday it is ready to stop oil exports to countries supporting Israel but such an embargo would be effective only if other nations cooperate.

Parliament Speaker Mehdi Karroubi, a close political ally to President Mohammad Khatami, made no direct reference to neighboring and former enemy Iraq's decision on Monday to suspend all oil exports for one month.

Bradshaw, who warned Israel on Monday it was playing a dangerous game by defying pleas to end the military incursions into the West Bank, said Britain was concerned at the effect of the raids on Palestinians.

"We share the widespread concern about the impact of the Israeli invasion of Palestinian areas on the Palestinian people. We have called on Israel to withdraw," he said.

"Unlike Saddam Hussein, we are also concerned about the suffering of the Iraqi people," he said.

Iraq's trade with the outside world is restricted by U.N. sanctions imposed to punish it for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Under the so-called "oil-for-food" program, Iraq is allowed to sell unlimited amounts of oil to buy food, medicine and other humanitarian supplies, and to pay war reparations.

"How can Saddam Hussein afford to suspend Iraq's legal oil exports for 30 days?" Bradshaw said. "His people depend on the revenues from these exports for vital food and medicines. Will Saddam also be suspending Iraq's illegal oil exports, which fund his own luxurious lifestyle?"