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| Fifth Column |
| U.S. Congressmen Slam Barbaric Sanctions Against Iraq |
| 2002-09-29 |
| Three anti-war U.S. congressmen on a rare visit to Iraq on Sunday, September 29, criticized the 12-year U.N. sanctions regime as âbarbaricâ, saying that open weapons inspections must resume to ensure it is lifted. They weren't lifted when weapons inspections were in force because the inspectors were hindered at every turn... Democrat representative David Bonior of Michigan spoke of âthe horrific and barbaric suffering ... particularly children are undergoing,â after visiting a hospital, a pediatric clinic and two desalination plants in this southern Iraqi port city. He stressed along with colleagues Jim McDermott of Washington state and Mike Thompson of California âthe absolute necessity to end the sanctionsâ through âfair, open, unrestricted [weapons] inspectionsâ by the United Nations. Yep. Any time now. âIf we go to war again we will simply double or triple the problems we have created in 1991,â from the Gulf War, said McDermott.âThe theory was that if we put pressure on the Iraqi people somehow they would throw out [President] Saddam Hussein, all that has done is punish the Iraqi people. It did not work and I think that it is not right what we are doing and that it must stop.â Well, okay then. And pray tell just what should we do? If we can't attack him and throw him out, and we can't use sanctions because of The Children™, what other options are open, other than "pretty please with honey on top"? Representative Bonior is a long-time opponent of the sanctions devastating the Iraqi people. He has during his tenure held numerous press conferences criticizing the brutality aimed against Iraqi civilians. He also co-sponsored a letter to former president Bill Clinton asking that the sanctions be lifted. He also lost his bid for governor — heh heh! — and he ran for governor because it looked like he was gonna lose his House seat. Seems he has a lot of support. McDermott also noted claims that the use of depleted uranium weapons during the Gulf War had increased âmalformations and leukemia in children, and we wanted to see for ourselves what that was about.â How many malformed and leukaemic children did they visit? They had heard in Baghdad from Health Minister Omid Medhat Mubarak that the embargo had caused the deaths of more than 1.7 million Iraqis since it was imposed in 1990. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |
| #4 Isn't Saddam's indifference to the plight of his own people proof enough for these waterheads that he IS a ruthless barbarian? If he cared for his own people half as much as he cared for himself, wouldn't Saddam welcome inspections or whatever may be required to end the sanctions? Oh, wait, there's that issue of National Sovereignty and Dignity. It would be insulting for inspectors to be able to enter Presidential Palaces and so forth. I wonder if those waterheads from the Democratic Party discussed that issue with Saddam's lieutenants? I wonder what would happen if the shoe was on the other foot: If the UN demanded unrestricted inspection of anyplace in the US, including the Oval Office, looking for WMD, do you think these same Democratic Clowns would say OK, sure, in the interests of World Peace and Food for Children? Yes, they'd probably say OK, which would beg the question of why are they willing to give Saddam the benefit of the doubt when he says No Access to Some of My Territory???? |
| Posted by: Gregski 2002-09-29 17:36:31 |
| #3 I'd vote for a combination of bag-of-rocks stupid and halfwittedly politically calculating myself. The Democrats seem to have fallen under the mass delusion that this is a primary election, since they're working so hard to appeal to their leftish "base". However, a sharp reaction is already beginning to set in. Bonior and McDermott were on "This Week" today on ABC, and their protestations in favor of Iraq were, according to what I have heard - I didn't see the show myself - not greeted with favor by the panelists. One of the panelists even said "this is why the Democrats are having such a hard time." Do these people even realize that every time they open their mouths, they're damaging the Democratic chances in November? If they knew what was smart, they'd shut up about Iraq and go back to gnashing their teeth about Enron, whereby they actually _might_ be able to convince a few people. |
| Posted by: Joe 2002-09-29 15:43:03 |
| #2 When they come back, they're gonna wax indignant when anyone "questions their patriotism." You heard it here first, even though you probably guessed it for yourself... |
| Posted by: Fred 2002-09-29 10:44:15 |
| #1 That makes it, like, $1000US for Saddam's Palaces for each dead Iraqi child? Bonior, McDermott, and Thompson should stay there....What's their excuse? Treasonous or just plain "bag of rocks" stupid? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2002-09-29 10:33:50 |