Tom Kitt (Dublin South, Fianna Fail)

It is a great privilege to be back in the House to discuss Iraq, in regard to which we have had many hours of debate as developments have arisen and which I appreciate. In that context, I am happy again to address the House on the humanitarian issues in Iraq.

As Senators are aware, much has happened in Iraq since I last adressed the House on 11 June. The images and reports emanating from Iraq continue to dominate the news on an almost daily basis. The pictures portray a country in distress and a very difficult security environment where humanitarian organisations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross are apparently regarded as legitimate targets. The humanitarian community received one of the greatest setbacks in its history with the appalling attacks on the United Nations Headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August. This cold blooded and mindless assault resulted in the loss of the life of the Special Representative of the UN, Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello, and 21 colleagues.

When speaking in this House last June, I warmly welcomed the appointment of Mr. de Mello, whom I met on a number of occasions, as the new Special Representative for Iraq. I anticipated that he would bring a wealth of much needed experience, commitment and ability to Iraq in the humanitarian, recovery and reconstruction processes. In the short time he spent in Iraq, Special Representative de Mello played a key role in the co-ordination of humanitarian and reconstruction assistance by UN agencies and between UN agencies and NGOs. He supported and encouraged international efforts to contribute to basic civil administration functions, especially in the areas of health, education, water and sanitation. A key objective of Special Representative de Mello was to determine how the UN might contribute to the political process. In this respect he sought to elicit the views of as broad a range of Iraqis as possible and facilitated communication between his Iraqi interlocutors and the Coalition Provisional Authority while offering his own comments and suggestions. His message was one of hope for a better future for the people of Iraq. His premature death has left us greatly saddened at a personal level and has also left a great gap in the international humanitarian and development community. His passing is much mourned.

I was particularly horrified at the suicide bomb attack on the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Baghdad. The significance of this attack cannot be underestimated. It is the first of its kind on the Red Cross, whose mission is to assist war victims on all sides. The impact on the ground may be considerable. The Red Cross has stressed, however, that it will not leave Iraq, but it is reducing its foreign staff based there.