Baghdad - Iraq will cut rations of basic necessities handed out under the oil-for-food accord with the United Nations next month because of delays in the delivery of goods under the deal, officials said.
"The quantity of certain products registered on the ration cards will be reduced in December because of the American administration's persistence in freezing or rejecting contracts" presented for approval to the UN sanctions committee, a commerce ministry spokesman said.
"Because of the behaviour of the United States . . . the quantity of oil, soap, tea, lentils and salt which are due to be delivered to Iraq are not enough to be distributed in line with the ration amounts, hence the need to reduce them," the spokesman said.