The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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Dear CASI People, Many thanks to Roger's alertness in calling our attention to blatant falsification of history by the AP. I was crowd an can assure you it it is a lie to apply the estimate of "hundreds" . I only hope that CNN did not crop the TV angle to falsify history in a manner similar to the 2nd rendition of AP. When I listened to CNN's account towards midnight, it was broadcasting the propaganda from the rather peculiar "Iraqis" who blasted the antiwar people, conveniently forgetting that it was the U.S. government, not the anti sanctions folks, who build up of the military of Iraq and gave it every support in the hope of maximizing the number of Iraqis and Iranian fatalities. These peculiar "Iraqis" were alleging that anti-sanctions folks were in bed with S.H., or minimally were his dupes. I greatly appreciate Drew's Hamre's continuously astute remarks and and restate my plea that this list of deal with Lt. Col. Rizer's May 2001 article in Space and Air Power Chronicles and its significance for what may be a catastrophic and eminent "thinning out" of the Iraq population. It is amazing to me that this list chooses to ignore Rizer's article in a major publication of the the U.S. Air Force despite Rizer's claim that it is moral, legal, and consistent with Air Force doctrine to kill 100,000 Iraqi civilian by destroying electricity and thereby causing water borne epidemics and the doubling of infant mortality (Page 1, paragraph 2). I urge CASI to comment on Rizer's view that killing these 100,000 civilians was OK because it was "indirect" (though any first year text in medicine or public health would say that that rendering useless water/sanitation makes the mass death completely predictable and even inevitable.) Also an honest reading of Protocol 1 would cite the relevant article, viz., # 54, paragraph 2 which specifically calls out the words "water treatment" rather than the less relevant section metioned by Rizer. Rizer goes on to defend the use of bombing to "degrade" civilian morale" -which is known outside the U.S. Air Force as terrorism in such venues as Federal and International anti Terrorism law and treaty. The U.S. could launch a war of annihiliation against Iraq at any moment, but instead of talking about this and how to prevent it, CASI seems to get more and more postings about how awful S.H. is -- as though that he is worse than the usual type of dictator the U.S. puts into power. Actually, he is better in the very real sense that his government, unlike the conventional U.S. puppet government , funds health care and education unless blocked by the U.S. via he fig leaf of the U.N. Don't misunderstand. I'm a pacifist and denounce the militarism of S. H. but also that of NATO and all the war criminals and dictators and mercenaries armed by NATO countries including the warlord Sharon, the army of Colombia and Indonesia, etc. I won't falsify history however and claim that that contrary to detailed, on -the-ground- analysis of FAO, etc., that the Party of S.H. unlike the usual dictator or war monger backed by the U.S. and NATO countries, invested heavily and effectively in health care and education until it was denied that possibility by the U.S. and it's flunkies. After 9 very painful days speaking to such sources as the lead NGO for water/sanitation in Iraq, Care, Inc., and realizing that very soon an awful lot of innocent kids will most likely be killed (indirectly but predicibly and inevitiably by the Gov. of which I'm a citizen, I hope my lack of detachment and good cheer will be forgiven. We can positively impact history. But not by taking seriously the propaganda of the U.S. government and trashing its effective critics like Maj. Ritter, USMC (Ret.) at the expense of figuring out some way of activiating any residual decency and compassion and self itnterest among the citizens of the U.S. and the citiizens of its cronies. Since so many lives are at stake, could the list redirect some of the anti-S.H. posters away from this list and to a U.S. government oriented list. This suggestion is based on the fact anti sanctions movement people opposeed supportsing the arming of either S.H. or the anti-S.H. mercenary armies. If poster are outraged by S.H., let them post to the U.S. government which supplied the inteligence, and the chemicial precursers and the bio materials to S.H. during the war he fought against Iraq for the the U.S. and its cronies. I get enless propaganda here in Washington , so I really appreciate serious discussion. For example could we have more discusssion on the how we might convince the U.S. population to support the Iraq Peace Team and the Generations for Peace who are trying to protect the Article 54 infrastructure that is indispensable for the survival of civilians and which was targeted in 1991 and will most likely be targeted again if the U.S. escalates. Sorry, under these dire circumstances, I can't bring myself to sign off with "cheers," or any such jolly complimentary closing. Sincerely, Tom Thomas J. Nagy, Ph.D. George Washington Univesity School of Bus. & Pub. Mgt. Washington, D.C. ================================= > This is how the same article appeared in the Washingpost.com. It is of note > that rather than the tens of thousands reported in the first article I sent, > this one simply notes, hundreds. Same article, same author, drastically > different perspective. Is this an editor and if so it would seem to merit a > response. Any thoughts? > > By Lawrence L. Knutson > Associated Press Writer > Saturday, October 26, 2002; 2:27 PM Demonstrators by the hundreds gathered > near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Saturday for what organizers pledged would > be a loud, angry but nonviolent protest march against President Bush's > pre-emptive war policies. > > Roger Stroope > " _______________________________________________ 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