by Haider Rizvi

UNITED NATIONS, Jun 21 (IPS) - International social justice groups are calling on the United Nations to stop paying out millions of dollars in Iraqi oil revenues to Kuwaiti businesses and individuals as war reparations for Saddam Hussein’s invasion of that country 15 years ago.

“The citizens of Iraq should not be held responsible for the actions of Saddam and his regime,” says the U.S.-based group, Voices in the Wilderness.

“The continued claims of war reparations is another form of violence against Iraqis,” adds Jubilee Iraq, a Britain-based charity.

The joint statement by the anti-war U.S. and European groups comes ahead of a U.N. meeting in Geneva next week that will decide which claims for war reparations relating to the occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91 are to be paid by Iraq, and in what amounts.