BELGIUM: US embassy billed for war injury

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 - 10:00

Belgian humanitarian agency Medical Aid for the Third World sent an Iraqi girl home on April 28, after giving her five operations and weeks of physiotherapy to heal leg wounds caused by a bomb the US dropped on her country in 2003. Then it sent the 51,570 euro ($66,650) bill to the US embassy. "We haven't heard from them yet" MATH coordinator Bert De Belder, told Reuters. "We're giving them 10 days to respond ... I don't think they will pay it". Fifteen-year-old Hiba Kassim can now walk, albeit with a limp. De Belder told Reuters international law dictates that an occupying force is responsible for the well being of a country's people. US embassy officials were not available for comment.

From Green Left Weekly, May 4, 2005.

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From GLW issue 625