Figure 1.--.

The Iraqi economy has been crippled by those sanctions and the people of Iraq, including the children, have undeniably suffered. Experts argue on the level of suffering of the Iraqi people. Here the debate is on the level and not on the fact that he Iraqi people have sufferd. Clearly they have. The Iraqi Governmentbhav reported large numbers of deaths. The United Naions and various NGO groups have described the conditions in Iraq. There is even evidence that Sadam has taken measures to intensify the sufferings of his people to garner international support. This appear to have incredibly included killing babies. A jounalist working in Aman, Jordan intervied an Iraqi refugee. He described how his wife gave birth to healthy twins. When he returned the next day he was told that they were dead. Sadam had apparently ordered that actual bodies were needed to demonstrate how U.N. sanctions were harming the Iraqi people. [PBS News Hour] The question of course rises, who is responsible for that suffering. Is it the United Nations for imposing the embargoes because of Sadam's definace? Or is in Saddam for insisting on persuing WMD and siphoning off oil revenue to support WMD program.

Iraqi Conditions

The Iraqi economy has been crippled by those sanctions and the people of Iraq, including the children, have undeniably suffered. Experts argue on the level of suffering of the Iraqi people. Here the debate is on the level and not on the fact that he Iraqi people have sufferd. Clearly they have. The Iraqi Governmentbhav reported large numbers of deaths. The United Naions and various NGO groups have described the conditions in Iraq.

Sadam's Strategy

There is even evidence that Sadam has taken measures to intensify the sufferings of his people to garner international support. This appear to have incredibly included killing babies. A jounalist working in Aman, Jordon intervied an Iraqi refugee. He described how his wife gave birth to healthy twins. When he returned the next day he was told that they were dead. Sadam had apparently ordered that actual bodies were needed to demonstrate how U.N. sanctions were harming the Iraqi people. [PBS News Hour] The strategy is of course to generate support for an end of sancioins by showing how the Iraqi people are suffering.

Many doubt the reports of Sadam's barbarity. A French reader write HBC, "You know I don't have any sympathy for dictators. It's sure Saddam is not an angel. But we are living in period of war and misinformation is rife. It is very easy to find exiled opponents wich are agree to tell such story without real proff, only words. For many years, France has sponsored a permanent mission in Iraq called "France-Iraq Amitié" which deals with hospitals. This team walks everywhere without restriction. They report that the situation is horrible for Iraqi children because of the embargo on the most elementary drugs (vitamins, antibiotic and anesthetics). This team has never obseverd crimes on children. According this team , it is not dangereus to work in Iraq. This is not the case in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Iraq is a secular state. On the American TV networks one hears outrageous talk about Iraq and even against France for its stand against the War."

It is quite true that we can not substantiuate that the father interviewed was tlling the truth. It is true that exiles sometimes exagerate or even invent such stories. We ca rport that the father wa interviewed by a serious journlist working with Iraqi refugees in Jordan where about 0.4 million Iraqis have fleed Saddam's regime. It is also true that refugee accounts can not be discounted, especially because no one in Iraq dare criticism Saddam. Here one only need how terrfied Iraqi scientists are to speak to U.N. inspectors. Such reports are certainly not isolated. Many accounts exists of chldrn being starvedin cells next to their parents to force confessions or to punish. Farthers are forced to see their dughtrs raped. The accounts are too numerous to be dismiissed. It seems likely that definitive accounts on Saddam's regime will emerge after the liberaiin of Iraq.

Responsibility

The question of course rises, who is responsible for that suffering. Is it the United Nations for imposing the embargoes because of Sadam's definace? Saddam would like to pose the issue to blame the sanctons and the United Nations as responsible. HBC would tend to view Saddam as responsible for insisting on persuing WMD and siphoning off oil revenue to support WMD program.

Sources

PBS News Hour, February 28, 2003.

Created: February 28, 2003
Last updated: February 28, 2003