, ▁were ▁review ed ▁in ▁a ▁process ▁that ▁typically ▁took ▁six ▁months ▁before ▁ship ment ▁was ▁author ized . ▁Items ▁de emed ▁to ▁have ▁any ▁potential ▁application ▁in ▁chemical , ▁bi ological ▁or ▁nuclear ▁weapons ▁systems ▁development ▁were ▁not ▁available ▁to ▁the ▁regime , ▁regardless ▁of ▁stated ▁purpose . ▁ ▁Fin an cial ▁statistics ▁Over ▁US ▁$ 5 3 ▁billion ▁worth ▁of ▁Ira qi ▁oil ▁was ▁sold ▁on ▁the ▁world ▁market . ▁About ▁US ▁$ 4 6 ▁billion ▁of ▁this ▁was ▁intended ▁to ▁provide ▁for ▁the ▁human itar ian ▁needs ▁of ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁people ▁such ▁as ▁food ▁and ▁medicine , ▁given ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁international ▁economic ▁san ctions . ▁A ▁considerable ▁portion ▁was ▁spent ▁on ▁G ulf ▁War ▁re par ations ▁paid ▁through ▁a ▁compens ation ▁fund ▁( 2 5 % ▁starting ▁December ▁ 2 0 0 0 ). ▁UN ▁administrative ▁and ▁oper ational ▁costs ▁for ▁the ▁programme ▁was ▁US ▁$ 1 . 2 ▁billion ; ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁weapons ▁ins pection ▁programme ▁was ▁also ▁paid ▁from ▁these ▁funds . ▁In ternal ▁aud its ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁made ▁public . ▁ ▁End ▁of ▁the ▁programme ▁ ▁Short ly ▁before ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁British ▁forces ▁inv aded ▁Ira q , ▁UN ▁Secretary - General ▁K of i ▁Ann an ▁susp ended ▁the ▁programme ▁and ▁ev acu ated ▁more ▁than ▁ 3 0 0 ▁workers ▁monitoring ▁the ▁distribution ▁of ▁supplies . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 8 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Secretary - General ▁Ann an , ▁the ▁United ▁States ,