Spare a thought this morning for the five-man Oireachtas team which travelled to Iraq on Thursday to campaign against the international sanctions which prevent basic medical supplies reaching the country. David Andrews, John Gormley, Michael D. Higgins, Mick Lanigan and David Norris flew into Jordan and embarked on an 11-hour jeep ride to Baghdad. They had to take water with them. The five are hoping to meet Saddam Hussein and foreign minister Tariq Aziz to discuss measures such as weapons inspections. They also hope to visit hospitals where children are dying for lack of medicine and will campaign for purer water. But they left Dublin without a programme as, they understand, the Iraqis like to keep such high-powered arrangements confidential until the last minute. The delegation, following a recent delivery of aid by Niall Andrews MEP, returns at the end of next week. All but Gormley are members of the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs but, since there was no great rush for places, he applied to the chairman, Des O'Malley and was invited to join what has to be a hardship trip.
Quidnunc can be contacted at rholohan@irishtimes.ie