I think the former interpretation is closer to reality, although if the US suspended sanctions the bad consequences would disappear independent Hussein's tendency to spend wads of cash on building new palaces and buying new military trinkets.
-- Luke
> Several times I've seen people defend the sanctions against Iraq by saying
> Hussein is the one who is causing the suffering since he could easily
spend
> oil money to buy food and medicinal supplies. But instead he spends it on
> military hardware (because he's such a sadistic tyrant, it is inevitably
> pointed out) and trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction.
>
> Is this true? I seem to remember some information being posted about some
> sort of UN committee that has to approve any such sales to Iraq, meaning
> that it is not simply within Hussein's power to buy food and medicine.
>
> Which is it? Does anyone know?
>
> Brett