The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
Views expressed in this archived message are those of the author, not of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
[Main archive index/search] [List information] [Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq Homepage]
Dear all, I apologise for this late contribution to the subject of targeting water treatment facilities, and maybe someone has already answered to the question. But I was in Iraq from 15 until 26th of january, and I'm starting to read my mail of 24 january just now. I have here before me: a) the "Harvard Study Team Report: Public Health in Iraq After The Gulf War", may 1991. Quote: " the collapse of electrical generating capacity has been a crucial factor in this public health catastrope. Without electricity, hospitals cannot function, perishable medicines spoil, water cannot be purified, and raw sewage cannot be processed" (page 3, Overview). In this report I cannot find any reference to the targeting of water treatment facilities. b) the "Report to the Secretary-General on Humanitarian Needs in Iraq by a Mission led by Sadruddin Aga Khan, Executive Delegate of the Secretary-General", dated 15 july 1991. Quote: "The events of the Persian Gulf crisis severely disrupted the water and sanitation services... This is due to two factors: the damage or destruction of water treatment plants and water distribution networks, and the lack of spare parts to repair the systems in place that were not affected by the war." (page 23, III Sector reports, A. Water, sanitation and environmental health sector). This report for instance also states: "The large treatment plants at Al-Khadir (near Samawa) and at Ramadi were seriously damaged." c) Report from a Belgian Medical Mission SOS IRAK (19-27 march 1991), with specialists from different countries, states: "during the war, the situation of the Iraqi population was unbearable, mainly because of the embargo and the destruction of electricity, water facilities and sewage system.... Our testimonies were affirmed by a report of WHO, that has been made public at a press-conference in Amman later the same week ." Of course there was Ramsey Clark and many others, who witnessed the destructions of the water treatment facilities. (The Fire This Time, and the different sessions of the International War crimes Tribunal of the US and their allies in the Gulf. And finally: I witnessed these intentional destructions myself when I was in Iraq in july 1992, but that of course cannot be considered as serious evidence. I hope my contribution about the targeting of water treatment facilities has been useful. Greetings. Dirk adriaensens. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric Herring" <eric.herring@bristol.ac.uk> To: "Bert Gedin" <gedinbert@hotmail.com> Cc: <ruth_blakeley@yahoo.co.uk>; <amg@newnham.org>; <casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk> Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 1:10 PM Subject: Re: [casi] targeting of water treatment facilities > > The document can be seen at > www.gulflink.osd.mil/declassdocs/dia/19950901/950901_511rept_91.html > > It contains no mention whatsoever of bombing or targeting. It is > simply, as its title indicates, an assessment of Iraqi water treatment > vulnerabilities, and the focus is on the fact that UN SANCTIONS make > adequate water supply impossible. What it shows is that the US knew > from the outset that Iraq was in desperate humanitarian trouble due to > the sanctions. This is damning enough. It shows nothing and says nothing > about bombing or targeting. It is wrong to imply that it does. > > Eric > > On Fri, 24 Jan 2003 11:48:17 +0000 Bert Gedin <gedinbert@hotmail.com> > wrote: > > > > > Dear Ruth, Andrew & List, > > > > Firstly, apols for my computer illiteracy - I would have preferred to e-mail > > you all this very relevant article, directly. In Sunday Herald (Scotland), > > Sept.17, 2000. Prof. J. Nagy, of George Washingtom University, is > > interviewed. Seems he came accross a 7-page document, entitled "Iraq Water > > Treatment Vulnerabilities", prepared by 'US Defense Intelligence Agency', > > issued the day after the Gulf War had started, & circulated to all major > > allied Commands. Seems the allies had bombing campaigns on Iraq's 8 > > multi-purpose dams, these were repeatedly hit. In all, makes very sinister > > reading (i.e. the Herald report, haven't yet seen the Defense document). For > > more information, try this website: > > > > http://www.mobtown.org/news/archive/msg00885.html > > > > Greetings, > > > > Bert Gedin (Birmingham, UK). > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >From: Ruth Blakeley <ruth_blakeley@yahoo.co.uk> > > >To: Andrew Goreing <amg@newnham.org>, casi-discuss@lists.casi.org.uk > > >Subject: Re: [casi] targeting of water treatment facilities > > >Date: Fri, 24 Jan 2003 11:02:22 +0000 (GMT) > > > > > > > > >[ Presenting plain-text part of multi-format email ] > > > > > > > > >Thanks to Andrew for raising his questions in relation to my paper on US > > >targeting during the last Gulf War. As he points out, I found no > > >admittance in the US Gulf War Air Power Surveys that the air campaign had > > >deliberately targeted water treatment facilities, and little discussion of > > >any collateral damge, although Ramsey Clark's report does states that such > > >facilities were extensively bombed. I did therefore dismiss that these > > >were deliberately targeted. However, I am open to being persuaded otherwise > > >if there is evidence of either targeting of water treatment (eventhough > > >this is not mentioned as a target in the GWAPS) or whether there was > > >extensive collateral damage to Iraq water treatment facitilities. If there > > >was, could and should measures have been taken to limit this? I'm sure the > > >sensitivity of this matter makes it hard to get at the truth. > > >Thank you > > >Ruth > > > Andrew Goreing <amg@newnham.org> wrote:Does anyone have any further > > >evidence on the following? > > > > > >I read Ruth Blakeley's message (23 Jan, Re: [casi] Dual crisis looms for > > >millions in Iraq) with interest and followed up her paper Bomb Now, Die > > >Later (available at http://www.civilwarfare.co.uk/) > > > > > >According to Ruth the GWAPS (Gulf War Air Power Surveys) provides no > > >evidence that sewage treatment or water purification plants were targeted > > >by > > >the 1991 allied air campaign. She discounts the report of Ramsey Clark that > > > > > >"In all areas we visited, and all other areas reported to us, municipal > > >water processing plants, pumping stations and even reservoirs have been > > >bombed". > > > > > >Presumably the sentence she quotes from the 1996 WHO report that refers to > > > > > >"the extensive destruction of electrical generating plants, > > >water-purification and sewage treatment plants during the six-week 1991 > > >war..." > > > > > >does not in her view provide evidence that Allied forces actually bombed > > >such plants. > > > > > >Obviously, the Allied assault on the Iraqi electrical power infrastructure > > >plus the subsequent years of sanctions severely harmed the water > > >purification system. Probably no-one on the list is in any doubt about > > >that. > > >But is there persuasive evidence that water-treatment plants were actually > > >bombed? > > > > > >Obvious issues -- > > > > > >Were there undisputed reports of HE damage at such plants? > > > > > >Could such damage have come from Iraqi ordnance? > > > > > >The GWAPS happily admits to intentional destruction of the electrical > > >system; however admission of attacks on water facilities (had there been > > >any) would be a rather more sensitive matter, one would have thought. > > > > > >Andrew Goreing > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >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 > > > > > > > > >Ruth J Blakeley > > >265A Hotwell Road > > >Hotwells > > >Bristol > > >BS8 4SF > > >0117 929 4156 / 07909 525010 > > >Website: www.civilwarfare.co.uk > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >--------------------------------- > > >With Yahoo! Mail you can get a bigger mailbox -- choose a size that fits > > >your needs > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >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 > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > > Stay in touch with absent friends - get MSN Messenger > > http://messenger.msn.co.uk > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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 > > > > ---------------------- > Dr. Eric Herring > Department of Politics > University of Bristol > 10 Priory Road > Bristol BS8 1TU > England, UK > Office tel. +44-(0)117-928-8582 > Mobile tel. +44-(0)7771-966608 > Fax +44-(0)117-973-2133 > eric.herring@bristol.ac.uk > http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Politics > http://www.ericherring.com/ > > Join the Network of Activist Scholars > of Politics and International Relations (NASPIR)! > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naspir/ > > > _______________________________________________ > 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 > > _______________________________________________ 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