Sanctions

Kevin Robert Dean qualiall at union.org.za
Fri Jan 31 08:55:46 PST 2003


I was watching World Link TV the other day and they had a series of documentaries on Iraq.

One had a reporter go into a hospital where the doctor eagerly showed him his supply cabinet--bare except for 2 full bottles of unknown substances, for which he blamed the lack of supplies on Sanctions.

Immediately, I thought about how staged this seemed. Why would there be only two bottles? I've seen this happen a few times, were there were only two or three supplies in the cabinet.

I don't know if this was used to highlight the situation, or if it was more sinister than that.

Then I heard a report on NPR about an anti-war demo being staged in Iraq by an international peace org. The report described the turnout as small, even though addendence was highly encouraged by the government. The report went on to say that multiple Iraqi citizens and doctors were openly criticizing the Iraqi government, questioning why they have the funds to build fancy buildings, but no funds for medical supplies or other necessities.

Back to the documentaries on Worldlink. They were talking about Northern Iraqi no fly zone who seemed to be doing pretty good with getting basic needs to the people. (Does Northern Iraq not fall so strictly under sanction guidelines or do they have the same?)

It also said that Iraq was doing pretty good supplying Turkey with illegal oil and was making tons of money.

So I am starting to have doubts about the usual rhetoric about sanctions that we hear. Am I wrong?

Feeling Skeptical,

Kevin --- Sent from UnionMail Service [http://mail.union.org.za]



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