U.S. judge dismisses Iraq lawsuit over U.N. program

(Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Wednesday dismissed Iraq's lawsuit accusing a variety of companies that transacted with the country when it was led by Saddam Hussein of conspiring with his regime to frustrate the United Nations' oil-for-food program.

U.S. District Judge Sidney Stein in Manhattan said that as a matter of law, conduct by the Hussein regime is attributable to the current Iraq government.

"The court rejects Iraq's view that it may sidestep responsibility because the conduct was illegal or the actors held power illegitimately," he wrote.

The U.N. program let Iraq sell oil to finance the purchase of tens of billions of dollars of food, medicine and other goods for citizens hurt by international trade sanctions.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; editing by Andrew Hay)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-judge-dismisses-iraq-lawsuit-over-u-n-171804055--finance.html

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