Sanctioned to Death

[Ethiopian-Fat-Camp]

In 1990 the US government, with the world in tow, had a falling out with Saddam Hussein over Kuwait. It was not so much that Hussein's character had changed; as Noam Chomsky has pointed out, "Saddam's worst crimes were committed when he was a favored ally and trading partner of the US." Overnight Saddam Hussein became known to the West as "the new Hitler." This title was not invoked by his human rights abuses, for these had long been known, but by his threat to Western economic interests in oil-rich Kuwait.

The first response to Iraqi aggression was to impose the most comprehensive economic sanctions the modern world has ever known. Nothing got out of the country and nothing came in without the permission of the UN Security Council, made up of The United States, Britain, Russia, China, and France. Iraq was a desert economy especially vulnerable to embargoes as they are dependent on imports and clean water.

Next, in January of 1991, the United States and its allies launched Operation Desert Storm, a month of continuous and brutal bombardment. When the depleted uranium dust from the exploding missiles of the West settled, it seemed that overkill was an understatement. The punishment of an entire people was just beginning. The bombing left the infrastructure shattered and the sanctions remained in place, affecting the lives of millions of Iraqi civilians that, before the Gulf War, had known the highest health and medical standards in the region. The gutting of the electrical, sewage, and water systems would combine with the denial of repair parts and adequate medical supplies, to make even the most curable of water-borne diseases a death sentence.

Media coverage of the situation in Iraq would imply that Saddam is the only person living in Iraq, or that Iraq's 22 million people are all named Saddam. Sanctions are supposed to target the Iraqi regime, but instead, affect the very young, the very old, and the poor. The sanctions have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians since 1991. Popular support for this policy of deprivation and violence is eroding, but still the US and its closest ally Britain, though increasingly isolated in their position, remain steadfast supporters of the dead-end policy. Standard apologetics for the economic sanctions seem to ring more hollow every day. Saddam Hussein is strengthened by the policy. Sanctions have made survival the focus of the common people of Iraq, leaving them no time or resources for the popular uprising that the US government hopes the sanctions will inspire. We are told by American officials that this price must be paid to keep the world safe from future weapons of mass destruction. But according to UNICEF, loss of life directly from sanctions is six times that of Hiroshima. The US-led sanctions claim the lives of an estimated five thousand children every month.

This war is not over. The US continues to bomb. They continue sanctions. As the US and Britain engage in efforts to continue this cruel policy, we see international support for sanctions crumbling before our eyes. France, Russia, China, Malaysia, Yemen, Turkey and Jordan are a few of the countries that have moved recently to end sanctions, with other countries following suit. It is time for the US and British Governments to end this campaign of death and destruction, and we must prevent them from continuing or increasing efforts to continue sanctions. Ten years have passed and some estimates claim that over a million innocent people have died. Tens of thousands of American soldiers are sick and dying from the depleted uranium-coated munitions we used during the Gulf War. The US has earned itself a fearsome reputation as the rogue superpower. We are breeding the hate we claim to be protecting ourselves from.

(From www.ratm.com)

[Ahimsa138]

At 5/22/01 05:29 PM, Crystal_Chrome wrote: In 1990 the US government, with the world in tow, had a falling out with Saddam Hussein over Kuwait. It was not so much that Hussein's character had changed; as Noam Chomsky has pointed out, "Saddam's worst crimes were committed when he was a favored ally and trading partner of the US." Overnight Saddam Hussein became known to the West as "the new Hitler." This title was not invoked by his human rights abuses, for these had long been known, but by his threat to Western economic interests in oil-rich Kuwait.

The first response to Iraqi aggression was to impose the most comprehensive economic sanctions the modern world has ever known. Nothing got out of the country and nothing came in without the permission of the UN Security Council, made up of The United States, Britain, Russia, China, and France. Iraq was a desert economy especially vulnerable to embargoes as they are dependent on imports and clean water.

Next, in January of 1991, the United States and its allies launched Operation Desert Storm, a month of continuous and brutal bombardment. When the depleted uranium dust from the exploding missiles of the West settled, it seemed that overkill was an understatement. The punishment of an entire people was just beginning. The bombing left the infrastructure shattered and the sanctions remained in place, affecting the lives of millions of Iraqi civilians that, before the Gulf War, had known the highest health and medical standards in the region. The gutting of the electrical, sewage, and water systems would combine with the denial of repair parts and adequate medical supplies, to make even the most curable of water-borne diseases a death sentence.

Media coverage of the situation in Iraq would imply that Saddam is the only person living in Iraq, or that Iraq's 22 million people are all named Saddam. Sanctions are supposed to target the Iraqi regime, but instead, affect the very young, the very old, and the poor. The sanctions have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians since 1991. Popular support for this policy of deprivation and violence is eroding, but still the US and its closest ally Britain, though increasingly isolated in their position, remain steadfast supporters of the dead-end policy. Standard apologetics for the economic sanctions seem to ring more hollow every day. Saddam Hussein is strengthened by the policy. Sanctions have made survival the focus of the common people of Iraq, leaving them no time or resources for the popular uprising that the US government hopes the sanctions will inspire. We are told by American officials that this price must be paid to keep the world safe from future weapons of mass destruction. But according to UNICEF, loss of life directly from sanctions is six times that of Hiroshima. The US-led sanctions claim the lives of an estimated five thousand children every month.

This war is not over. The US continues to bomb. They continue sanctions. As the US and Britain engage in efforts to continue this cruel policy, we see international support for sanctions crumbling before our eyes. France, Russia, China, Malaysia, Yemen, Turkey and Jordan are a few of the countries that have moved recently to end sanctions, with other countries following suit. It is time for the US and British Governments to end this campaign of death and destruction, and we must prevent them from continuing or increasing efforts to continue sanctions. Ten years have passed and some estimates claim that over a million innocent people have died. Tens of thousands of American soldiers are sick and dying from the depleted uranium-coated munitions we used during the Gulf War. The US has earned itself a fearsome reputation as the rogue superpower. We are breeding the hate we claim to be protecting ourselves from.

(From www.ratm.com)

Thank you, I go to ratm.com every day to check up on the news and have thought about posting several articles here. For some reason americans in general seem to swallow up what the mass media and politicians tell them. If individuals would educate themselves on subjects such as sanctions on Iraq or our "drug war" there would be riots in the streets. America is the biggest hipocrite when it comes to human rights around the world, no major media reports anything that will contradict an america's way or the highway attitude and those who do simply are not heard.

[Ethiopian-Fat-Camp]

At 5/22/01 05:29 PM, Crystal_Chrome wrote: In 1990 the US government, with the world in tow, had a falling out with Saddam Hussein over Kuwait. It was not so much that Hussein's character had changed; as Noam Chomsky has pointed out, "Saddam's worst crimes were committed when he was a favored ally and trading partner of the US." Overnight Saddam Hussein became known to the West as "the new Hitler." This title was not invoked by his human rights abuses, for these had long been known, but by his threat to Western economic interests in oil-rich Kuwait.

The first response to Iraqi aggression was to impose the most comprehensive economic sanctions the modern world has ever known. Nothing got out of the country and nothing came in without the permission of the UN Security Council, made up of The United States, Britain, Russia, China, and France. Iraq was a desert economy especially vulnerable to embargoes as they are dependent on imports and clean water.

Next, in January of 1991, the United States and its allies launched Operation Desert Storm, a month of continuous and brutal bombardment. When the depleted uranium dust from the exploding missiles of the West settled, it seemed that overkill was an understatement. The punishment of an entire people was just beginning. The bombing left the infrastructure shattered and the sanctions remained in place, affecting the lives of millions of Iraqi civilians that, before the Gulf War, had known the highest health and medical standards in the region. The gutting of the electrical, sewage, and water systems would combine with the denial of repair parts and adequate medical supplies, to make even the most curable of water-borne diseases a death sentence.

Media coverage of the situation in Iraq would imply that Saddam is the only person living in Iraq, or that Iraq's 22 million people are all named Saddam. Sanctions are supposed to target the Iraqi regime, but instead, affect the very young, the very old, and the poor. The sanctions have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians since 1991. Popular support for this policy of deprivation and violence is eroding, but still the US and its closest ally Britain, though increasingly isolated in their position, remain steadfast supporters of the dead-end policy. Standard apologetics for the economic sanctions seem to ring more hollow every day. Saddam Hussein is strengthened by the policy. Sanctions have made survival the focus of the common people of Iraq, leaving them no time or resources for the popular uprising that the US government hopes the sanctions will inspire. We are told by American officials that this price must be paid to keep the world safe from future weapons of mass destruction. But according to UNICEF, loss of life directly from sanctions is six times that of Hiroshima. The US-led sanctions claim the lives of an estimated five thousand children every month.

This war is not over. The US continues to bomb. They continue sanctions. As the US and Britain engage in efforts to continue this cruel policy, we see international support for sanctions crumbling before our eyes. France, Russia, China, Malaysia, Yemen, Turkey and Jordan are a few of the countries that have moved recently to end sanctions, with other countries following suit. It is time for the US and British Governments to end this campaign of death and destruction, and we must prevent them from continuing or increasing efforts to continue sanctions. Ten years have passed and some estimates claim that over a million innocent people have died. Tens of thousands of American soldiers are sick and dying from the depleted uranium-coated munitions we used during the Gulf War. The US has earned itself a fearsome reputation as the rogue superpower. We are breeding the hate we claim to be protecting ourselves from.

(From www.ratm.com)

Let's just hope that people will listen to these messages on these boards instead of discussing shit like "invading canada"

[Pantomime-Horse]

At 5/23/01 07:18 AM, Crystal_Chrome wrote:

At 5/22/01 05:29 PM, Crystal_Chrome wrote: In 1990 the US government, with the world in tow, had a falling out with Saddam Hussein over Kuwait. It was not so much that Hussein's character had changed; as Noam Chomsky has pointed out, "Saddam's worst crimes were committed when he was a favored ally and trading partner of the US." Overnight Saddam Hussein became known to the West as "the new Hitler." This title was not invoked by his human rights abuses, for these had long been known, but by his threat to Western economic interests in oil-rich Kuwait.

The first response to Iraqi aggression was to impose the most comprehensive economic sanctions the modern world has ever known. Nothing got out of the country and nothing came in without the permission of the UN Security Council, made up of The United States, Britain, Russia, China, and France. Iraq was a desert economy especially vulnerable to embargoes as they are dependent on imports and clean water.

Next, in January of 1991, the United States and its allies launched Operation Desert Storm, a month of continuous and brutal bombardment. When the depleted uranium dust from the exploding missiles of the West settled, it seemed that overkill was an understatement. The punishment of an entire people was just beginning. The bombing left the infrastructure shattered and the sanctions remained in place, affecting the lives of millions of Iraqi civilians that, before the Gulf War, had known the highest health and medical standards in the region. The gutting of the electrical, sewage, and water systems would combine with the denial of repair parts and adequate medical supplies, to make even the most curable of water-borne diseases a death sentence.

Media coverage of the situation in Iraq would imply that Saddam is the only person living in Iraq, or that Iraq's 22 million people are all named Saddam. Sanctions are supposed to target the Iraqi regime, but instead, affect the very young, the very old, and the poor. The sanctions have taken the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians since 1991. Popular support for this policy of deprivation and violence is eroding, but still the US and its closest ally Britain, though increasingly isolated in their position, remain steadfast supporters of the dead-end policy. Standard apologetics for the economic sanctions seem to ring more hollow every day. Saddam Hussein is strengthened by the policy. Sanctions have made survival the focus of the common people of Iraq, leaving them no time or resources for the popular uprising that the US government hopes the sanctions will inspire. We are told by American officials that this price must be paid to keep the world safe from future weapons of mass destruction. But according to UNICEF, loss of life directly from sanctions is six times that of Hiroshima. The US-led sanctions claim the lives of an estimated five thousand children every month.

This war is not over. The US continues to bomb. They continue sanctions. As the US and Britain engage in efforts to continue this cruel policy, we see international support for sanctions crumbling before our eyes. France, Russia, China, Malaysia, Yemen, Turkey and Jordan are a few of the countries that have moved recently to end sanctions, with other countries following suit. It is time for the US and British Governments to end this campaign of death and destruction, and we must prevent them from continuing or increasing efforts to continue sanctions. Ten years have passed and some estimates claim that over a million innocent people have died. Tens of thousands of American soldiers are sick and dying from the depleted uranium-coated munitions we used during the Gulf War. The US has earned itself a fearsome reputation as the rogue superpower. We are breeding the hate we claim to be protecting ourselves from.

(From www.ratm.com)

This is already the oppinion of many non-Americans, During the Cuban Missile Crisis America backed Noriega just because he hated Castro, then suddenly the public discovered that Noriega ran the worlds biggest opium/heroin + Cocain business so America's government/millitary pretended they only just found out about it & decided to turn Noriega to look good in the public eye, Noriega was always a worse person than Castro but the US backed him all the same.

[TFX]

At 5/22/01 05:29 PM, Crystal_Chrome wrote: edited for space

If these people truly want sanctions lifted, then they need to get a new damned leader. Have a revolution for crying out loud.

If any President sank us into a depression so far that we had to invade other countries for resources, then have everyone attack and destroy our armed forces and then put tons of sanctions on us so that we are barely surviving, there would most definately be a revolution.

'Oh, feel sorry for the Iraqis!' What? Saddam Hussein is one man, it wouldn't be hard to overthrow. Think about it!

ratm.com. Hell, even their name is a contradiction. Rage Against The Machine. Yet they use the 'Machine' to get their millions of dollars and promote their liberal ideas. Like I'd listen to them.

[shorbe]

The Iraqi people could actually overthrow Saddam. Instead, many of the worst oppressed people actually support him. I have no sympathy.

As for sanctions...

No one should ever be forced to trade with anyone else. It's their decision.

No doubt, many of the people who would want sanctions lifted against Iraq would themselves boycott such companies as Nike. Why? Because they would think such companies were bad or immoral (which they are).

There's a contradiction if ever there was one though.

The US and England sanctions may be hypocrital and ineffective, but not nearly as much so as those who protest them.

shorbe

[Raptorman]

The Iraqi people are disorgainized and have no effective leadership now or before the war. A srong leader could have siezed the reigns of power long before whan Saddam was weak from his Iran or Desert storm wars. Saddam's Stalin like tactics of power control have insured that there is no power structure to oppose him. The No fly regions were formed not to protect people as was claimed, but to unofficailly aid the nassecent rebelion started by the Kurds. However, the Kurds are strongly disliked by the people of the region. Even more strongly then the leadership in power. The lack of strong leadership and lack of support made it unlikely that a succesful rebelion could be lauched by them. The relic of the no fly zone still exists for the lack of a face saving way out.

The economic sanctions were set against them with a simular thought in mind. Enforce the sentiment against Saddam while enboldaning pro-western forces to overthrow him. This line of thinking was ingnorant of the lack of power that these forces had. To raise a mass revolt was beyond the limited power of these groups. The time for this has now passed also.

"Strike while the iron is hot." as the old saying goes. This iron is not longer hot. All that is left is a cold shit-sandwich that no one knows what do with. No pro-western force is going to replaced him. The danger lies in another looney replacement. One that actually has some credibility in the Muslim world (Recall, he tried to declare a jihaad against the allies nations). He is a devil, but he is the devil we know, and he is contained.

Since no pleasent alternatives present themselves I offer the following suggestion. Quietly offer Saddam some sort of face saving deal for both sides. Say Saddam yeilds providencehood to the northern and southern reigions. This would allow the western nations to back down and save face by saying "We gave power to the oppressed." This would also allow Saddam to still hold his power and be able to present himself as a man who was willing to do anything to help his people and end the sanctions.

It is a foul situation we are in but it needs to be resolved in a reasonable manner. Any other suggestions?

[Perdix]

So what should the United States do? Should they take over for the Iraqi people and give them a new leadership? Do they need to continue to supply a country whose leader takes all that he can from the people for his own used? Fuck no. I don't think anyone should hide behind the excuse of "human rights violations" to attack another country. The war in Iraq was fought for money, good. Our (from my point of view the United States) relationship with the middle east is based on money, and the only logical reason to meddle in their affairs is to protect our own interests, since our only interest is money/oil, than that is the only logical reason to fight a war there. The politics of the Iraqi people should be left up to the Iraqi people, it is not the business of the West to interfere. The only mistake here is hiding behind the transparent human rights excuse

[Ethiopian-Fat-Camp]

At 5/28/01 11:58 AM, Perdix wrote: So what should the United States do? Should they take over for the Iraqi people and give them a new leadership? Do they need to continue to supply a country whose leader takes all that he can from the people for his own used? Fuck no. I don't think anyone should hide behind the excuse of "human rights violations" to attack another country. The war in Iraq was fought for money, good. Our (from my point of view the United States) relationship with the middle east is based on money, and the only logical reason to meddle in their affairs is to protect our own interests, since our only interest is money/oil, than that is the only logical reason to fight a war there. The politics of the Iraqi people should be left up to the Iraqi people, it is not the business of the West to interfere. The only mistake here is hiding behind the transparent human rights excuse

Alright, tip and a clue to all of you.

Shorbe: The worst oppressed people in Iraq like saddam because they are gyped into believing it. Just like you are gyped into believing that killing Iraqis is just. (They don't tell you that not all 22 Million of them support Saddam)

Raptorman: There is a VERY easy solution. Many uneducated people may say "why don't we just go in and blow saddam's head off?" Guess what, we've had HUNDREDS of opportunities to do that and it is the best thing to do. Kill the fucker and set up a -temporary puppet government- until the Iraqis elect a better leader. I know that the Iraqi's may not like having a temp. government set up by the UN or NATO, but it's better than Saddam.

TFX: Alright, you are fucking idiot. Don't talk. Period. First of all, it is VERY hard to start a revolution. Saddam is not just 'one man.' He has a claim to fame, legitamacy to power. It's called an -army-. A very ruthless army. Not only that, but when he doesn't have to use his army on certain people, it's because he's convincing everyone else that he is good. That or he is forcing his people to believe it.
Second, ratm is not liberal. They make millions of dollars, yes, to promote good ideas.
"But ratm doesn't believe money is good!"
Hey, Alexander Berkman said "you have no choice - you have to get into the race or go under" .
3rd, Norman Schwarzkof is a fucking idiot. He went to war not to win, but to humiliate and show off. Even at the expense of the innocent.