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Friends - I am wondering if anyone knows how Amnesty assesses Iraq's human rights record? Since they certainly haven't been there for over a decade - is it all on second hand input? Presumably so - and they are, in which case, just as likely to be vulnerable to disinformation. Just one such example - recently a senior UN diplomat recounted the story of a well know figure who had been executed for alleged corruption. He was infact, alive and well and living at home (tho' being investigated for corruption ...) Again, this is not to dispute that human rights violations occur - I'd say 5-6,000 under fives a months dying of 'embargo-related causes' was also a pretty unique human rights violation too - but as in a court of law, previous convictions are kept from a jury on the basis that this might be the crime not committed by the accused, certainty is vital in something as important as an Amnesty Report. They did, after all, back the Iraqi soldiers throwing Kuwaiti babies out of incubators story - which turned out to be a fantasy set up by a US PR company. We can all make mistakes. 'Iraqi' says he did not notice social improvements in the 1980's - they are to be found in the 1989 State of the Nations Report. Odd he didn't notice the vast Saddam Medical Complex in the centre of Baghdad built with five billion petro $'s, or the presentation - twice - of the UNESCO award for a unique - free educational system. I repeat myself again, but earlier postings also seem to have been missed. best, f. _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk