After speaking with U.N. experts in Iraq, and through their  own talks with regular Iraqis, the group said they learned of  the severe drain being felt in the medical, economic and  intellectual sectors of Iraqi society.

"The oil-for-food programme funds are barely enough for  Iraqis' urgent and immediate physical needs, with nothing made  available for intellectual needs," the report said.

"The result is complete intellectual deprivation."

One result of the isolation is seen in the younger political  class in Iraq, which is emerging as even more extreme force than  the current leadership class led by President Saddam Hussein and  his Ba'ath Party, they said.

"It is from these younger Ba'ath figures that pressure on  Saddam Hussein is emerging from the right, challenging his 'too  accommodating' stance toward the U.N. and the West," it said.

A U.N. programme permitting Iraq to sell oil for food has  been in place since 1996, but has been criticised, especially in  recent months, as unworkable and inadequate to provide Iraqi  civilians with an acceptable quality of life.

The five staffers from offices of Democrat and independent  House members, said their August 1999 trip was the first such  congressional visit since shortly after the Gulf War in 1991.

On the humanitarian front, the group was shocked at the  deprivation they saw in the hospitals and medical centres.

"Ceiling tiles were falling down. The hospital we visited  didn't have incubators or air conditioners ... in part due to  sanctions," said delegation member Danielle LeClair.

The United States and Britain have been criticised for  putting "holds" on contracts for supplies and equipment  purchased under the oil-for-food deal.

As of Jan. 31, contracts worth $1.5 billion had been frozen,  with more than $1 billion of that frozen by the United States,  the U.N. said this week in a new report.

On Monday U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended the  Security Council double funds for Iraq's oil equipment and for  an increase in health supplies, criticising Baghdad's priorities  and the frozen contract practice.

The U.S. delegation went to Iraq to study the humanitarian  situation, the impact sanctions have had on the two nations'  trade, and depleted uranium-related health problems resulting  from Allied bombings during the Gulf War.

Members were from the offices of Democratic Reps. Danny  Davis of Illinois, Sam Gejdenson of Connecticut, Earl Hilliard  of Alabama and Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, as well as from that  of independent Bernie Sanders of Vermont.