WHILE I respect and admire Ian Johnstone's courage and endurance in the harsh conditions of Iraq (Shuttle/Times and News website), I take issue with his statement claiming that the Iraqi government had done nothing to help the country's poor.

Up until 1991 Iraqi citizens had an average daily calorie intake of 3,000 calories and a 95 per cent literacy rate.

Then, of course, Saddam turned against his sponsors (the US and the UK) and invaded Kuwait. From then on, sanctions were introduced against Iraq.

These sanctions should not legally have included medicines and food, but thanks to US and UK vetoes in the United Nations they did.

This pointless embargo on food and medicines (during which numerous UN staff resigned in disgust) cost an estimated one million citizen's lives and left the country destitute.

That number of deaths is, by any definition, genocide. So when we ask ourselves why the Iraqis are so poor, we need look no further than our own front yard.

DUNCAN CARSON

(Born and raised in Kidderminster)

Cronos 2-B, 3 C

28037 Madrid