HIROSHIMA, Aug. 6 Kyodo, An Iraqi doctor on Friday spoke about the ordeal of her compatriots since the 1991 Gulf War before a gathering of a Hiroshima-based citizens group working for the abolition of nuclear weapons.

Speaking before an audience of about 250 at a Hiroshima hall, Salma Al-Hadad said the mortality rate of children began rising after the Gulf War and the imposition of a U.N. embargo, which has since been lifted.

The 49-year-old doctor also recounted how war has destroyed many hospitals and resulted in the inadequate supply of medicines and facilities.

She came to Japan at the invitation of the Hiroshima Association for Nuclear Weapons Abolition, which organized the gathering on the day of the 59th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of the city in western Japan.

At the same gathering, Ken O'Keefe, a U.S. serviceman who served in the Gulf War and is now known as a peace activist, said that based on his experience with war, he has come to realize that the world today is facing a crisis and called on people to work toward peace.

Hiroshima was devastated in the world's first nuclear attack on Aug. 6, 1945, during the closing days of World War II. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and its aftereffects killed an estimated 140,000 people by the end of 1945.

2004-08-06 21:51:37JST