Quote:
Originally posted by grumpy
do you know how many Iraqi children die each month from malnutrition? >> They die caused by the us embargo, not because saddam doesnt want to feed them.
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This argument is so hollow. One person is responsible for the embargo: Saddam Hussein. Moreover, the sanctions don't prohibit food and medicine from reaching the people of Iraq ? the onus for that failure lies on Hussein and his government.
Also, the United States and Britain had long been pushing for new "smart sanctions" that would remove nearly all limitations on trade with Iraq. Effectively, their proposal would have increased enforcement of the arms-sale ban and anti-smuggling efforts.
A master of propaganda, Hussein has many convinced that were it not for the sanctions, his people would be living in health and prosperity. He shows journalists and sympathizers the "effects" of sanctions. But even while his people starve, Hussein and his inner circle are getting the best food, housing, and medical care available
The oil-for-food program enabled Iraq to increase its revenues from $4 billion in 1997 to more than $17 billion within a couple of years. Hussein's personal wealth was estimated by Forbes magazine, in 1997, at $6 billion, which is enough to eradicate hunger and poverty in his country. Meanwhile, he has built numerous presidential palaces and monuments since the sanctions were imposed ? with funds that could have been used for food and medicine for his people.
Finally, the claim that 500,000 children have died as a result of sanctions is based on faulty information and partial surveys, and information shared by the Iraqi government ? information based on extrapolations from small, unscientific samples.