IRAQ - Aug. 14 - US Begins Push For Humanitarian Aid.

A report in The FT quotes a document sent last month by the US State Department to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as saying: "The office of northern Gulf Affairs [a department within the US State Department] announces an open competition for proposals for humanitarian assistance projects in Iraq (south, central or northern) and for Iraqi refugees in neighbouring countries". In addition, the US Central Command asked for a list of US non-governmental relief organisations working in or around Iraq. The initiatives are the latest in a series of US moves apparently geared to planning for a possible war in Iraq. The US State Department proposal involves $6.6m of government funds. The money will be split into at least five awards of $500,000 to $3.5m each and will cover areas such as medical care, relief for refugees, shelter, water supply, sanitation, as well as longer-term issues, such as education and landmines. Some NGOs have hesitated to apply for the grants, fearing that they could be enabling a war with Iraq. They believe the US is trying to establish initial contact with the Iraqi people in a pre-war "hearts and minds" strategy, meanwhile setting up a network of relief agencies in Iraq that could respond to the humanitarian needs of civilians displaced by a military campaign. Joel Charny, vice-president for policy at Refugees International, based in Washington, said: "I find it strange that at this particular moment, the US government is announcing an open competition for proposals for humanitarian assistance projects in Iraq, specifying that it can be in any part of the country. It seems in contradiction to the policy of embargo and limiting assistance to areas controlled by Saddam Hussein". A US official said he believed the State Department's proposal was the first time the government had offered money to humanitarian agencies working in Iraq and that it was part of a new push to set up relief networks within Iraq, working in co-operation with the Iraqi opposition, who are key to Washington's plans for regime change. One former government official with experience of working in humanitarian operations insisted the proposals should not be seen as linked to the war planning, but rather as a State Department decision to allow US organisations to help the Iraqi people.