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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On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 15:55:44 +0100 "Muhamed Ali" <Muhamed.Ali@Hackney.gov.uk> writes: >Dear list members, > I wholeheartedly agree that even Saddam >Hussein should be captured alive, given the choice to do >so. It is a pity that none of his victims were spared by >being given the choice to live. Even now, some people >forget all about these victims and detract by worrying >about the human rights of the perpetrator, under the >banner of "Anti-Occupation", "Anti-War",etc....Whatever >the label, it is not pro-Iraqi people. Witness the mass >graves during the occupation by Saddam Hussein. > >Regards, > Muhamad It is not of question of human rights "of the perpetrator", but for all humans -- the Iraqi people included. If law, justice, and human rights are not held as universal they become meaningless. Every violation is an attack on every person. The violations of rights in the US led to the invasion of Iraq, and the violations in Iraq weaken the rights of Americans and British by demeaning the sanctity of individuals -- making it more "normal" and acceptable to bypass law and humane standards. When the politicians and press applauded the murders of Saddam's sons and grandson, they also shifted the "norm" to more easily allow murdering anyone designated as "bad guys" anywhere. Bush said those who attacked the UN are "terrorists" -- part of a deliberate policy to label anyone who opposes the occupation as terrorists, and confuse any Iraqi with any "bad guy". We see the killing of civilians now, after Bush declared "the end of major hostilities" confused with the so-called collateral damage of bombing during the invasion. Firing into a crowd of protestors, or slaughtering children in a car at a checkpoint become just more mistakes and collateral damage, and the soldiers are treated as if they were dropping a bomb at night from 20,000 feet. We see the same slippery slope in Bremer's obfuscation regarding Saddam, his chief henchmen, Iraqi army officers, Iraqi soldiers, scientists, technicians, Ba'ath party bigwigs, party members, to eventually anyone who had job in Saddam's Iraq. They all become Saddam supporters, and therefore eligible for arrest, imprisonment and torture, and summary execution. ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today! _______________________________________________ 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