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Re: [casi] (Bert Gedin) targeting of water treatment facilities




Dear Ghazwan,

Since this topic burst upon the scene, there has been a fantastic response.
Including some, very good communications from the scientific world (also,
I'm sorry to say, a few unpleasant postings, on the Site & privately -
freedom of expression at it's worst?). Until now, I don't think anyone from
Iraq has written, on this topic, certainly not provided information as fully
& informatively as yourself. Not everyone will accept the official Iraqi war
damage report, in the West. But few would argue with the fact that it was
Iraqi people who suffered the results  of bombings, sanctions & other
destruction, all this they have experienced first-hand. The very least we
can do is to set aside our own predjudices, and study this report, very
seriously. If we, at least,
do that, then perhaps it offers us the opportunity to learn from the
"mistakes" of the past.

Greetings,

Bert Gedin
(Birmingham, U.K.).



>From: "Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar" <gaz@uruklink.net>
>To: "Bert Gedin" <gedinbert@hotmail.com>,"casi"
><casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk>,"Josh Robinson" <jmr59@hermes.cam.ac.uk>
>Subject: Re: [casi] (Bert Gedin) targeting of water treatment facilities
>Date: Mon, 27 Jan 2003 17:29:45 +0300
>
>Dear Bert, Josh & list
>
>The official Iraqi war damage report list the following damage to water
>purification station  during 1991 gulf war:
>1- Faluja water purification station(WPS) hit on the 19th Jan. 1991.
>Al-Selman (WPS) on the 20th Jan. and again 24th Feb. 1991.  Khour Alzubair
>(WPS) 20th Jan. Mousel (WPS) hit five times on the 22/1, 13/2, 19/2, 24/2,
>and 28/2. The list consists of 20 incidents of bombing water purification
>plant. The damage range from near total destruction, to bombing of
>electrical control rooms and damage or destruction of water pumps, to the
>bombing of the workshop that fixes chlorine dosing and other electrical
>pumps. The destruction of the power generators and distribution panels that
>powers the WPS and the damage to main water line distribution pipes were
>also included in the list.
>2- The main sewage plant in Baghdad "Al-Rustamiah" was hit  on 25th Jan
>which damaged the control room, the pumps and the electrical generators.
>The
>Mousel sewage plant was hit on 18th Jan. Another Baghdad sewage plant "Abu
>Grape" was hit on the 19th which resulted in damage to the electrical
>system. Basra sewage plant was hit on 26th Feb.
>3- The following dams and flood control regulators were hit. Ramadi flood
>control was hit 17th, and 19th of Jan. and again 4th Feb. Saddam dam was
>hit
>17, 19, 21, 22 and 28 Jan. Dawkan was hit 17 and 30 Jan. Qadisyiah hit on
>17
>and 26 Jan. Kut was hit 29 Jan and again 5 Feb. Kufa was hit 29 Jan.
>Mishkhab was hit 6 times on 12, 13, 16, 18, and 24 Feb. Albou was hit 16
>Feb. Finally Shut Al-Basrah 25th of Feb.
>
>These attacks can not be thought to be "unintentional" attacks or
>"collateral" damage specially in the light repeated attack on some of these
>water supply and storage systems.
>
>It is a well known fact that water purification and supply system depends
>totally on electricity so that disruption of electrical power to these
>systems makes the whole system useless even without destroying the water
>purification plants. Targeting the electricity and water supply system
>would
>constitute a grave violation of the international treaties and the
>"civilized" norm of war. In medical ethics pulling the electrical plug of
>the ventilator constitute a premeditated act of killing of the patient on
>the ventilator. It is a much bigger crime to "pull the plug" and deny the
>whole nation of the electrical supply, plus bombing their water
>purification
>system, they KNOW that will lead to thousands and thousands of people to
>suffer or die because of no clean water
>
>I am sure that the CASI site is full of UN agencies, and other humanitarian
>organizations, reports about the effects of sanctions on providing clean
>water to the people of Iraq. The UK/USA governments have placed many water
>supply contracts on hold. These same agencies have pleaded with the UN to
>release these "humanitarian" contracts. The fact that these contracts where
>placed on hold is another indication that the UK/USA deliberately targeted
>these water supply systems. they deliberately attacked the control rooms
>and
>the pumping stations. They deliberately hampered the efforts of the
>government to rebuild the water system by placing vital contracts on hold.
>In fact these are complementary steps started intentionally to create
>"humanitarian" crisis since 1991.
>
>I am sure that members of the CASI group are distressed about the
>"humanitarian" situation in Iraq. I am sure some might not want to believe
>the above is true because the don't like to think that their "nice"
>government could be that cruel.  as a defense they say it is "unintentional
>collateral damage". I have no problem with them they are free to think what
>they want to believe.
>
>
>Best Regards
>Ghazwan Al-Mukhtar
>Baghdad, Iraq
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Bert Gedin" <gedinbert@hotmail.com>
>To: <jmr59@hermes.cam.ac.uk>; <casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk>
>Cc: <gedinbert@hotmail.com>
>Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 10:44 PM
>Subject: Re: [casi] (Bert Gedin) targeting of water treatment facilities
>
>
> >
> > To Josh & List.
> >
> > Hopefully, none of us, are staring at these, very meticulous, documents,
> > with tunnel-vision. They were sent out at the outset of the Gulf War.
>They
> > were internal military documents. They give extremely useful CLUES, & it
> > annoys me somewhat when people think so concretely, without
> > putting matters in context, & trying to understand the thinking, &
>attitudes
> > that underlie the action. If you want evidence of bombed water systems,
>then
> > don't restrict yourself to these documents. I sent out several other
> > articles, re. Iraqi Water Systems, but - quite frankly - I get the
> > impression that none of those have received your attention. Are you, at
>all,
> > familiar with the history of Iraq, since the Gulf War & before? Are you
> > knowledgable about US military history, and Britain's role in the
>history
>of
> > the Middle East? - I do accept people's right to accept or reject
>anything
> > on this site. But I would prefer that the various factors were, at
>least,
> > carefully considered.
> >
> > Greetings,   Bert.
> >
> >
> > >From: Josh Robinson <jmr59@hermes.cam.ac.uk>
> > >To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk
> > >CC: gedinbert@hotmail.com
> > >Subject: Re: [casi] (Bert Gedin) targeting of water treatment
>facilities
> > >Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 18:39:57 -0000
> > >
> > >bert,
> > >
> > >you're missing the point. all the document shows is that the US
>military
> > >-were aware of the consequences of bombing water facilities-. it DOES
>NOT
> > >provide any evidence that those facilities were targeted, or even hit.
>it
> > >is in that sense that it is 'useless'.
> > >
> > >whatever our 'common sense' tells us, this document cannot be used as
> > >-evidence- that such facilities were hit. and even if there is evidence
> > >that water facilities were -hit- (i would be somewhat surprised if
>there
> > >weren't), even that will not be sufficient to show that they were
> > >-targeted-.
> > >
> > >now, if any of this evidence is out there, then i think that lots of us
> > >would be very glad (if that's the right word) to see it.
> > >
> > >josh
> > >
> > >--On Saturday, January 25, 2003 06:12 +0000 Bert Gedin
> > ><gedinbert@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >>
> > >>Dear Alun,
> > >>
> > >>Aren't you jumping to (unfounded) conclusions? A useless document? The
>US
> > >>military NOT bombing Iraqi infra-structure? Do you really believe that
> > >>Iraqi water systems have never been bombed? The US military may be
>full
> > >>of really nice people, but it is those very "really nice people" who
> > >>cause so much havoc, including "collateral damage". Maybe you're
> > >>underestimating CASI - it includes a number of experts in politics,
> > >>science etc., as well as ordinary folks with plenty of common sense.
> > >>CASI is no "ship of fools"!
> > >>
> > >>Greetings,
> > >>
> > >>Bert.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>>From: Alun Harford <alunharford@yahoo.com>
> > >>>To: casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk
> > >>>Subject: Re: [casi] (Bert Gedin) targeting of water treatment
>facilities
> > >>>Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 08:34:29 -0800 (PST)
> > >>>
> > >>> > Dear Alun & List,
> > >>> >
> > >>> > The Report you refer to had already been provided by
> > >>> > Dr. Eric Herring,
> > >>> > this last Friday. However, my appreciation for so
> > >>> > kindly trying to be
> > >>> > helpful. - It would be good if some others, with
> > >>> > expertise or with accurate
> > >>> > knowledge, or sources, could join this discussion.
> > >>> > Not neccessarily with a
> > >>> > strong political message, just to demonstrate some
> > >>> > eesential facts. Perhaps
> > >>> > a few of our Iraqi friends would like to contribute?
> > >>>
> > >>>Unfortunately, the document is pretty useless from the
> > >>>point of view of CASI - the US military will say that
> > >>>they produced it so that their generals knew not to
> > >>>bomb water treatment facilities. They will continue to
> > >>>deny that they hit them and if CASI raised the issue
> > >>>in the media it'd just look like a bunch of conspirisy
> > >>>theorists who don't have a clue what they're doing -
> > >>>which is why the documents could be safely
> > >>>declassified. They prove nothing.
> > >>>Read it thinking "The US military is full of really
> > >>>nice people" and you'll see what I mean (and then
> > >>>probably be violently sick afterwards).
> > >>>
> > >>>Alun
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>>__________________________________________________
> > >>>Do you Yahoo!?
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> > >>>
> > >>>_______________________________________________
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> > >>>All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk
> > >>
> > >>
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