Farrakhan proceeded to Iraq from Iran, meeting with Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on February 15. At a news conference following the meeting, Farrakhan stated (referring to United Nations' sanctions imposed following the 1991 Gulf War), "We visited the children's hospital ... and I must say if I were made of stone, seeing what I saw today would bring tears from my eyes. Sanctions is a crime against humanity." He added: "Visiting the hospital that we visited today would be, or could be, compared to visiting one of the (Nazi) death camps."