IRAQ . . . WHAT OIL EMBARGO?

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U.S. officials, responding to a New York Times report that Iraq may be selling 200,000 barrels of oil a day in violation of a strict U.N. embargo, acknowledged some leakage but claimed the sanctions were generally holding up. White House press secretary Mike McCurry said U.S. estimates of Iraqi oil exports are "in the neighborhood of 80,000 to 100,000 barrels a day," noting that Iraq was selling a far more lucrative 2.5 million barrels a day prior to its 1990 invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent embargo. But he added: "It is nonetheless troubling that Iraq is finding ways to evade the sanctions regime that has been in place." Secretary of State Warren Christopher said the State Department would look into the news report to "see if we can''t make the embargo, which has been really quite effective, even more airtight."