The price of Iraqi people tragedy (Archived)

The Saturday of 19th Dec wasn’t like any day, despite the fact that I left my university to home as usual, but my feelings and senses were different in that day from any other. That day was the first day of the Holy month of Ramadan, and it was the third day in bombing of Iraq. I passed by Harvard Square as usual on my way to home and was surprised with the existence of hundreds of protesters in the main square, lifting up banners and signs that were highly critical of the economical sanctions on Iraq, and condemns the American ministry of defense (The Pentagon) about the bombing of Iraq, with signs that said “We don’t want bloodshed for petrol or Israel”, and another that said “not only Clinton has to step down, but the ministry of defense with him”, and another sign that said “the children of Iraq are paying the price”, and another that said “what about the Israeli’s weapons of mass destruction”, and other signs that I did not expect to see, and so, I stopped my car to watch the protestors, and was shocked to see not even on Arab or Muslim participant. A student approached me with a newsletter and presented me with a single paper written in English. So I asked her: Who organized this protest, she informed me that they are volunteers from different universities in Boston including some individuals from human rights organizations, and global child rights and as such. I took the newsletter and found many valuable documented information worth to be published, the newsletter title was (Help people of Iraq) (Deputy General Secretary of the United Nations resigns after more than 30 years in the U.N,  protesting the sanctions against Iraq), this newsletter explain the details of deputy Denis Halliday’s resignation.

Halliday says that throughout the 13 months he spent as Chief of humanitarian aid in Iraq, he was convinced that the economical sanctions do not affect the Iraqi government, but crushes the Iraqi people. This sanction weakens the people, and makes him entirely dependent of the Iraqi government supplies of food and medicine, and becomes the only priority for them to achieve during the day, this alone can burnout the people’s energy, which ultimately weakens the people, making them incapable of resisting the unjust Iraqi regime. And so, what the U.N actually does is supporting ‘Saddam Hussein’ and his regime indirectly.

In the newsletter, Halliday explains, how approximately 4 to 5 thousand Iraqi children die with each passing month, as a direct cause of those economical sanctions, water shortage, food, medicine and the spread of epidemics.

Many do not realize that economical sanctions on Iraq included many things unexpected by our readers; some were mentioned by this newsletter, such as: Magazines, medical references, pencils, paper, aspirin for children, water purification materials, medical supplies and as such, from necessities that was targeted against the Iraqi people and not their government. There is even a 100’000 dollars penalty on who ever conspires to deliver any of the prohibited materials to Iraq, even if it was aspirin or children toys.

The newsletter indicated the double standard treatments, in which most of the U.N decisions against Israel were not applied, as a result of the U.S interventions. Also, American humanitarian organizations which prepared this newsletter, confirmed that their government (United States of America) is in violation of international laws of 1997 which prevents manufacturing chemical weapons, by providing the president of United States of America the right to prevent international inspection committees from visiting locations, weapon manufactories, under the pretext of maintaining national security.

The newsletter also explains the American role of making ‘Saddam Hussein’ and how they looked away when he used his weapons against Iran, the Kurds and his people, but also how America used to support him with weapons and money, knowing what he was doing against humanity and international laws.

The resigned Deputy General Secretary of the U.N points out that economical sanctions created a new generation and increased crime rates even amongst children, prostitution and corruption has increased as well. Isolating Iraqis from the world would only increase the support of Iraqi regime.

Halliday confirms that that whole world will pay for the affects of sanctions on the afflicted Iraqi people.

Truth of the matter is, economical sanctions imposed on Iraqis goes against the 54th term of the Geneva Convention, which say “It is prohibited to use starvation of people as a means of war”.

The suffering of Iraqi people is beyond what can be beard by humans, and we believe, like many others do, either by people from the east or west, that the hits done on Iraq, is to exhaust the people and their resistance and a consolidation to Saddam and his regime.

The bombing will stop, sooner or later, American and British forces are going to leave sooner or later, and Saddam Hussein will die sooner or later, but the suffering of the helpless Iraqi people will stay, a era of nations bleeding, lined by history for centuries to come.