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[casi] New US report on Iraq: "Apparatus of lies"



The Office of Global Communications, the new White House office widely
decried as its propaganda wing, has today released its first major report,
entitled "Apparatus of lies", about Iraq.

Perhaps of most interest to this list will be the section entitled
"Exploiting Suffering", which has a subsection "Blaming Sanctions for
Regime Failure". The pertinent question is whether the content of the
report conforms to its title.

The report can be viewed via:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ogc/apparatus/index.html

The section on sanctions includes:

"In 1990, under UN Security Council Resolution 661, the UN permitted food
and medicine imports." - this is a direct falsehood, as foodstuffs were
only allowed in from 1991.

"Infant formula sold to Iraq under the Oil-for-Food Program has been found
in markets throughout the Gulf, presumably exported by the regime to
circumvent the sanctions." - has there ever been any independent
confirmation of this? I had thought that the claim had been discredited.

There are argumentative flaws throughout, eg by pointing to Saddam
Hussein's own personal wealth. The report seems to acknowledge that
sanctions have not caused inconvenience to the regime, thus removing the
rationale for sanctions.

Further, more considered opinions on the report would be helpful.

Glen.


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