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WASHINGTON, May 8, 2003 – President Bush acted May 7 to lift trade and economic sanctions the United States had placed on Saddam Hussein's Iraq.
The president said he had directed Treasury Secretary John Snow to "lift administrative sanctions on American companies and citizens conducting business in Iraq that contributes to humanitarian relief and reconstruction." Speaking at a White House press conference with Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar, Bush also said the United States, United Kingdom and Spain are planning to introduce a U.N. resolution to lift U.N. sanctions on Iraq. "The regime that the sanctions were directed against no longer rules Iraq," he said. "And no country in good conscience can support using sanctions to hold back the hopes of the Iraqi people." Spain was a strong U.S. ally in maneuvering to firm up the coalition before the war. That country has sent medical and engineering assets to Iraq. Aznar said his country is committed to reconstructing Iraq. "Having won freedom for the Iraqis is the best hope we can sow for Iraq's future," he said, adding that the United Nations should lift sanctions quickly "because they have lost their reason to exist."
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