Iraq|NNP clears|VBZ visit|NN by|IN Ohio|NNP official|NN 

By|IN Scott|NNP Montgomery|NNP Washington|NNP 

The|DT Iraqi|JJ government|NN has|VBZ agreed|VBN to|TO let|VB U.S.|NN Rep.|NN Tony|NNP Hall|NNP visit|NN the|DT country|NN next|JJ week|NN to|TO assess|VB a|DT humanitarian|JJ crisis|NN that|WDT has|VBZ festered|JJ since|IN the|DT Gulf|NNP War|NNP of|IN 1990|CD ,|, Hall|NNP 's|POS office|NN said|VBD Monday|NNP .|. 

The|DT Dayton|NNP Democrat|NNP ,|, who|WP has|VBZ traveled|VBN to|TO other|JJ crisis|NN points|NNS including|VBG Sierra|NNP Leone|NNP and|CC North|NNP Korea|NNP ,|, will|MD spend|VB three|CD days|NNS visiting|VBG hospitals|NNS and|CC other|JJ facilities|NNS to|TO seek|VB understanding|NN why|WRB aid|NN has|VBZ been|VBN ineffective|JJ in|IN stemming|VBG malnourishment|NN and|CC other|JJ medical|JJ problems|NNS .|. 

Iraq|NNP has|VBZ been|VBN under|IN economic|JJ sanctions|NNS since|IN the|DT war|NN ended|VBD ,|, which|WDT some|DT say|VBP have|VBP thwarted|VBN the|DT country|NN 's|POS ability|NN to|TO recover|VB from|IN the|DT devastation|NN of|IN the|DT bombing|NN campaign|NN .|. 

The|DT Persian|NNP Gulf|NNP War|NNP destroyed|VBD much|JJ of|IN the|DT country|NN 's|POS medical|JJ infrastructure|NN ,|, according|VBG to|TO a|DT report|NN by|IN the|DT World|NNP Health|NNP Organization|NNP .|. 
In|IN 1996|CD the|DT WHO|WP found|VBD that|IN much|RB of|IN the|DT population|NN existed|VBD in|IN a|DT state|NN of|IN `|`` `|`` semi|NN starvation|NN .|. '|POS '|POS 

Hall|NNP will|MD be|VB only|RB the|DT second|JJ member|NN of|IN Congress|NNP to|TO travel|VB in|IN Iraq|NNP since|IN the|DT war|NN ,|, according|VBG to|TO Hall|NNP 's|POS office|NN .|. 
The|DT last|JJ visitor|NN was|VBD then-|NN U.S.|NN Rep.|NN Bill|NNP Richardson|NNP of|IN New|NNP Mexico|NNP ,|, who|WP went|VBD to|TO help|VB a|DT pair|NN of|IN U.S.|NN oilmen|NN in|IN diplomatic|JJ trouble|NN .|. 

Hall|NNP flies|VBZ to|TO Amman|NNP ,|, Jordan|NNP ,|, on|IN Friday|NNP ,|, where|WRB he|PRP 'll|MD spend|VB the|DT night|NN before|IN driving|VBG to|TO Iraq|NNP .|. 
Flights|NNS are|VBP not|RB permitted|VBN into|IN Iraq|NNP .|. 
Hall|NNP is|VBZ to|TO return|VB to|TO Washington|NNP on|IN April|NNP 22|CD .|. 

Story|NNP Filed|NNP By|IN Cox|NNP Newspapers|NNS 

