A group of French doctors, artists, and sports enthusiasts organize...

A group of French doctors, artists, and sports enthusiasts organize a "humanitarian" flight to Baghdad, causing a significant divide among Western nations regarding the future of the embargo against Iraq. The delegation, comprising 75 anti-sanctions activists, received approval from the French government and is welcomed by officials at the recently reopened Saddam International Airport. While Paris informed the United Nations committee in charge of sanctions about the flight on Thursday, it deliberately refrained from seeking permission. Furthermore, it disregarded the committee's request to delay the flight until Friday so that a decision could be made on whether it should proceed.

Friday, 22 September, 2000