http://www.expressnews.com/pantheon/editorial/maverick/28ed2mm31.shtml
Children suffering from
U.S.-backed sanctions on
Iraq
By Maury Maverick
Saturday, Feb 27,1999
San Antonio Express-News
A recent editorial in the
New England Journal of
Medicine stated, "Economic
sanctions are, at their
core, a war against people
through health." The writer
goes on to point out that
the professional ethic of
physicians demands the
defense of public health.
Thus, as physicians, we
have a moral imperative to
call for the end of
sanctions.
Food used as a weapon . . .
seldom seriously harms the
armed combatants or
political leaders, but
rather affects
preferentially, and causes
malnutrition, starvation
and death in children, the
elderly and women.
World Alliance for
Nutrition and Human Rights, September, 1998.
The actual legality of the
U.N. sanctions remains a
gray area under
international law. A
tribunal of lawyers and
parliamentarians held in
Madrid in late 1996 . . .
indicted the Security
Council for genocide of the
Iraqi people.
Peter L. Pellett,
International Quarterly of
Community Health,
Volume 17, No. 2, 1997-8.
A few weeks ago, Peter L.
Pellett, Ph.D., University
of London, and a world-
class authority on
malnutrition, appeared
before the Editorial Board
of this newspaper. He was
particularly critical of
the U.N. sanctions
involving food that were
imposed largely at the
urging of the United States
under the leadership of
President Clinton.
Pellett was accompanied by
Tom Keene of Pax Christi, a
highly respected Catholic
peace group. Keene was also
there as a representative
of the Anti-Violence Effort
of the Catholic Diocese of
San Antonio. (Cheers for
Archbishop Patrick Flores.)
What disturbed me the most
was Pellett's comment that
President Bush's entire war
did not have as many
casualties as caused by the
food sanctions. Pellett has
since returned to the
University of
Massachusetts, where he is
a professor. To be sure
that I had heard Pellett
correctly, I wrote him a
letter. Watch.
Q: Liberal Democrats, old
friends of mine, say Saddam
has dangerous weapons,
bombs, even anthrax, and so
we must punish Iraq. What
say you? (Maverick: My
research reflects that
during the days of
President Reagan, American
businessmen sold Saddam
anthrax or the ingredients
to make it.)
A: In its potential for
weapons, Iraq is no
different from all the
other countries of the
world, except the very
poorest. A policy to disarm
Iraq while leaving others
in possession is doomed.
The Middle East needs
comprehensive disarmament
for all.
Q: What are the casualties
of the food sanctions
compared with Bush's war?
A: There are many estimates
of the total numbers killed
as a direct result of
sanctions since 1990, 1
million to 1.5 million is
not unreasonable. This is
many more than those killed
directly during the active
warfare.
According to U.N.
estimates, approximately
5,000 Iraqi children under
the age of 5 are dying each
month. That sounds more
like the work of a dictator
of the worst kind than of
an American president.
The United States supplied
Saddam with bombs, military
intelligence and money to
kill Iranians.
But now back to Pellett.
Has he been published? Yes,
and that involves some 200
publications, including
books.
Has he ever visited Iraq?
As an important
representative of the
United Nations, he was in
Iraq in 1993, 1995, 1997
and on other occasions. He
has not lived in an
academic hothouse when it
comes to Iraq.
As for the 1995
oil-for-food swap Pellett
explains, "The food supply
has improved, but
nutritional problems remain
serious and widespread.
Grossly unhygienic areas of
sewage overflow are causing
problems in several cities.
The basic problem has been
the lack of foreign
exchange to purchase spare
parts for a variety of
pumps. Specific committee
approval (by the United
Naions) has often been
refused for the purchase of
many of the required
items."
Are the sanctions hurting
Saddam?
Pellet answers,"Sanctions,
in my opinion, have been
counterproductive and have
strengthened the position
of Saddam Hussein, not only
with Iraq but also
throughout the region.
Ordinary people do not see
the United States as an
honest broker."
What is happening to our
country? Where is our moral
outrage?
To leave a message for
Maury Maverick call
ExpressLine at 554-0500 and
enter 4422.
