WRITTEN QUESTION E-1833/03 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Iraq — serious danger to civilians from unexploded landmines and looting activities..
Date: 2003-06-02
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU financing, Iraq, anti-personnel weapon, civilian victim, public safety

8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 88 E/45

(2004/C 88 E/0047)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1833/03

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(2 June 2003)

Subject: Iraq (cid:1) serious danger to civilians from unexploded landmines and looting activities.

According to Human Rights Watch, following the end of the recent war in Iraq, civilian casualty figures
have shot up compared with the number of casualties during the war itself, principally because of the large
quantities of unexploded ordnance (cid:1) landmines, grenades and other explosive devices (cid:1) left behind in
residential areas following the sudden collapse of the Iraqi military command and control structure and the
resulting flight of military personnel who abandoned their equipment. Many of the victims are children
who suffer serious injury from playing with explosive devices. At the same time looting is continuing,
while snipers, conjectured to be Baath Party members seeking to destabilise the country, are injuring and
killing many innocent civilians. In addition countless public service documents are being destroyed in Iraq.
According to Amnesty International, British troops were involved in the mass destruction of electricity
supply company documents in Basra.

At the same time American armed monitoring forces in Iraq are ignoring appeals for mine clearance and
more patrols. Appeals by international human rights organisations for at least some level of policing have
also been disregarded.

What measures will the Commission take in an effort to ensure that the occupying and monitoring forces
in Iraq comply with international agreements and effectively protect the Iraqi civil populace from the
above dangers which are threatening not only their individual lives and welfare but also the very structure
of the State?

Answer given by Mr Patten on behalf of the Commission

(16 July 2003)

The Commission shares the concerns of the Honourable Member about the security situation in Iraq, and
about the continuation of looting and attacks by criminal elements or remnant of the Baath Party. The
present situation seriously risks compromising the effort to stabilize the country and prevent the deliver by
the humanitarian operators of the necessary aid to the population.

The Commission hopes that the coalition forces which represents the authority in Iraq will undertake the
necessary steps to guarantee security and to protect the civil population from any sort of threat. In this
respect, the conclusions of the European Council in Thessaloniki stress the need to provide security to the
civilian population as a precondition for the sustainable reconstruction of the country.

The Commission is also aware of the problem of the casualties provoked on a daily basis by the
unexploded ordnance left on the ground following the conflict. In this regard the Commission has recently
adopted a decision to provide a financial contribution of EUR 10 million, for supporting de-mining
activities carried out by international non-governmental organisations and co-ordinated by UNMAS. This
funding decision will help collect and disseminate information on likely locations of high concentration of
unexploded landmines and bombs, develop local capacity through formal training sessions and raise
awareness through Mine Risk Education.

(2004/C 88 E/0048)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-1840/03

by Michael Cashman (PSE) to the Commission

(26 May 2003)

Subject: Post-Iraq-War aid

Given the recent record of human rights abuses in Egypt, can the Commission explain the rationale and
decision-making process that led to the conclusion to send an accelerated package of eur 175 million in
financial assistance to Egypt?