[This comes from a Canadian paper, the Sunday Star. Sunday Star July 19, 1998
Tom Harpur]
OUTSIDE, THE waters of the lake were dancing. It was a glorious day to bask in our peace and ease. The laughter of children drifted in the air as they played on the beach across from us.
Then, on the radio, came the terrible news of the murder of three small boys by a sectarian arsonist in Ulster. With millions, I was deeply shocked. As the Psalmist said: ``How long, O Lord, how long?'' All thoughts of the happy sights and sounds around me vanished.
What made this story very emotive was that I had been doing research all week on another, much vaster horror involving mass killing of children - over a million of them so far. These deaths are still going on and nobody seems able or willing even to talk about the slaughter, let alone stop it. Tens of thousands of Iraqi children today are so weak and sick from hunger and disease that they may never laugh again.
Iraq has edged into and out of the news lately. On June 18 came a story headlined: ``Iraq on verge of rejoining world fraternity.'' Various sources spoke of weapons inspections ending and some sanctions being lifted. Many gave thanks, because it seemed the dying of the innocents - more than 1,211,285 babies and youngsters have died from embargo-related causes since 1990 - might soon end. (This figure is verified by UNICEF for August, 1990 to August, 1997.)
But, a few days later, another headline leaped out: ``U.S. toughens stand on Iraq sanctions.'' The mere allegation of having discovered ``traces of a deadly nerve gas'' on an Iraqi warhead was being vigorously seized by President Bill Clinton as cause for continuing the sanctions both on oil exports and on imports of food, medicines and other essentials - for example, parts to repair x-ray and other medical equipment.
Clinton, according to AP and Reuters news services, said the inspections must go forward and that present policies - the sanctions - towards Iraq are ``the right thing to do for the safety of America and the rest of the world.''
This is one of the most immoral and cruel decisions imaginable. Whatever else it means, it will ensure that up to 100,000 Iraqi infants and children will suffer and die before Christmas.
Totally apart from any schemes or evils done or planned by Saddam Hussein at any time, international law and human conscience bear witness that to punish and harm the most innocent and vulnerable of any country is a monstrous crime.
Former U.S. attorney-general Ramsey Clark, a key activist, has described the blockade as the most draconian in modern times. In a recent article on human rights in The New Internationalist, eyewitness Felicity Arbuthnot says families in Iraq eat in rotation to make food go further. A new medical diagnosis has appeared. Mothers too malnourished to breastfeed and unable to afford milk powder - a tin is more than an Iraqi doctor's monthly salary - feed their infants sugared water or tea. The babies become severely bloated and are at great risk. Doctors now call them the ``sugar babies.''
Stories of how the children are suffering are almost too overwhelming to read, never mind repeat. Surgery is often done without anesthetic, antibiotics or even simple painkillers. Medical journals are banned. Parents don't even have a photo of children who have died since 1990. Film is rare, out of date, and costs more than the average professional's monthly earnings. Children's bikes, toys, pencils, erasers and exercise books have been vetoed by the Sanctions Committee.
Back in 1991, the U.N. Special Rapporteur said Iraq was ``a country bombed back to a pre-industrial age for a considerable time to come.'' Yet the rules for meeting conditions for dropping the sanctions have kept changing. Demands are being made on Iraq that are made of no other country in the world!
Just last week, AP carried a story that clinched for me the ethical hypocrisy and double standard in the embargo cruelty now being touted by Clinton as ``right'' for American safety. A news report said Syria not only has an active chemical weapons program but also has armed missiles, warplanes and artillery shells with the nerve gas sarin. This is the same chemical alleged to have been present ``in traces'' on one or two defunct missiles in Iraq!
What is Washington doing about this? Nothing. Some official expressed a vague hope that, with over 160 countries approving the Chemical Weapons Convention, it will be hard for Syria to advance further. This is outrageous. It's even more so since the U.S. itself is in technical violation of the convention. That's because the Americans have ratified it, in 1997, but have not yet passed legislation to implement the ban, according to AP.
Hussein remains safe while the children go on in torment. So, because, like the boys in Ulster, these babies and children have no voice, I ask you to do whatever you can. Help stop the killing-by-sanction madness now. Protest to the Canadian and U.S. governments and to the U.N.
The International Action Centre, founded by Ramsey Clark, (39 West 14th St., Suite 206, New York, N.Y. 10011, U.S.A.), can fax or mail a list of key addresses. Call: (212) 633-6646. Fax: (212) 633-2889. More next Sunday.
Back to: Actions and Statements by Groups Opposing Sanctions
From: Rania Masri <rmasri@leb.net> Iraq Action Coalition