MIDDLE EAST: Weekly round-up Number 15 for 26 March-1 April 2005

[ This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

Key Humanitarian Developments in Iraq

The United Nations has decided that it is not appropriate to reimburse further legal fees to Benon Sevan, former head of the now defunct multi-billion US dollar Oil-for-Food programme for Iraq, spokesman Fred Eckhard told a daily UN news briefing on Monday.

The legal bills stem from Sevan’s appearance before the Independent Inquiry Committee (IIC) led by former United States Federal Reserve Chairman, Paul Volcker. The committee is probing charges of misconduct and mismanagement.

"This would be reviewed if he is later cleared of both internal breaches of UN rules and regulations and of any criminal wrongdoing," Eckhard told the daily briefing. Annan's Chief of Staff, Mark Malloch Brown, had previously told a news conference of a decision to cover some of the legal fees incurred by Sevan’s appearances before the IIC.

In another development, the IIC issued a charge letter against Under-Secretary-General Dileep Nair, head of the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) - the UN’s internal watchdog. The letter follows an adverse finding against Nair in a committee report. Nair has seven days to reply to the charges.

Additionally, Secretary-General Kofi Annan expects to be fully vindicated by the IIC after he fully co-operated with all inquiries made by the IIC, Mark Malloch Brown, the Secretary-General's Chief of Staff, reaffirmed at a news conference on Wednesday.

In Iraq, negotiations to establish a new government continued when parliamentary members met for a session that it was hoped could make progress in appointing a speaker and two deputies. In the event, the stalemate continued and Tuesday’s session broke up in disagreement.

The BBC reported that lawmakers had continued behind-the-scenes meetings in efforts to reach agreement but such was the chaos that MPs failed even to make any nominations. There are now fears that the deadlock could delay the writing of a constitution, due to be drafted by 15 August.

Efforts to promote national reconciliation were being made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Special Representative for Iraq, Ashraf Qazi. He met with the country's top Shi’ite Muslim cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, in the holy southern city of Najaf. Qazi is working to ensure that all elements of Iraqi society take part in writing the new constitution, after Sunni Arabs largely stayed away from the January poll.

Meanwhile, the US army has opened an investigation into the death of Iraqi scientist, Mohammad Munim al-Izmerly who died in US custody, the international media reported. The body of the 65-year-old was left at a Baghdad hospital in February 2004. A post mortem commissioned by his family, concluded that Izmerly died from a blow to the head.

According to the UK’s Guardian newspaper, the US death certificate cited "brain stem compression" as the cause of death but gave no further explanation. News of Izmerly's death followed reports of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib jail but the US army has not said what has prompted the current inquiry, nor given any further details.

Latest reports from the Middle East

CONTENTS:

IRAQ: New social programme assists the poor and vulnerable
IRAQ: Crackdown on unauthorised sale of medicines
YEMEN: Telephone legal hotline raises awareness and helps women
YEMEN: Review of national development issues
JORDAN: Job opportunities for landmine survivors
SYRIA: Solar energy to be brought into university curriculum

[ENDS]