FizzingWhizzbees said:
My concern is that Blair actually hasn't provided any evidence for this. He's also consistently refused to hold a debate in Commons on the issue and I believe that before a decision on whether to attack another country is taken, a full discussion with the people's representatives should take place. And as I said before, Iraq isn't the only country to violate UN resolutions, or to show a disregard for human rights, and yet there is no threat of an attack on other nations which do so.
To me, this argument seems rather like the suggestion that the reason over 500,000 children have died in Iraq in the last ten years, is not due to US and UK sanctions, but rather that Saddam Hussein witholds supplies from his own people. I disagree with that argument, I think perhaps the best response to it comes from John Pilger in his book The New Rulers of the World but basically there's no need for food or medical supplies to be witheld from people - those supplies simply are not reaching Iraq in the first place. For the argument about "human shields" - I believe if this was a tactic used in an attack on Iraq then the US should not do anything which would endanger the lives of people used as "human shields."
Well I'm sure we have different opinions on the solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. (Personally I believe complying with UN resolution 242 and getting out of the occupied territories would make Israel less likely to be the victim of suicide bombers, not more likely. It's not a complete solution, just the beginning of one, obviously.) But clearly we have different opinions on that issue, and I wasn't trying to start a debate on Israel/Palestine here.
What I actually meant to illustrate with that point was just that Iraq isn't the only country to defy a UN resolution, and yet is is the only country currently facing a massive military attack due to this. [/B]
It's ignorant to think that getting out of the occupied territories will partly alleviate the problem. Most of the rhetoric out of the Arab world towards Israel points to the contrary. They don't recognize the right of Israel to exist in the first place! They want the zionists to be forced into the sea, not just to leave that area. Look at the history of that region and the translation of the words of Hamas and other groups in that area responsible for these bombings.
Here are some quotes from their (Hamas) charter:
From Article Thirteen:
"There is no solution for the Palestinian question except through Jihad. Initiatives, proposals and international conferences are all a waste of time and vain endeavors."
From Article Twenty-Eight:
"The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups. All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions. They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion.
Arab countries surrounding Israel are asked to open their borders before the fighters from among the Arab and Islamic nations so that they could consolidate their efforts with those of their Moslem brethren in Palestine.
As for the other Arab and Islamic countries, they are asked to facilitate the movement of the fighters from and to it, and this is the least thing they could do.
We should not forget to remind every Moslem that when the Jews conquered the Holy City in 1967, they stood on the threshold of the Aqsa Mosque and proclaimed that "Mohammed is dead, and his descendants are all women.""
From Article Thirty-Two:
"World Zionism, together with imperialistic powers, try through a studied plan and an intelligent strategy to remove one Arab state after another from the circle of struggle against Zionism, in order to have it finally face the Palestinian people only. Egypt was, to a great extent, removed from the circle of the struggle, through the treacherous Camp David Agreement. They are trying to draw other Arab countries into similar agreements and to bring them outside the circle of struggle.
The Islamic Resistance Movement calls on Arab and Islamic nations to take up the line of serious and persevering action to prevent the success of this horrendous plan, to warn the people of the danger eminating from leaving the circle of struggle against Zionism. Today it is Palestine, tomorrow it will be one country or another. The Zionist plan is limitless. After Palestine, the Zionists aspire to expand from the Nile to the Euphrates. When they will have digested the region they overtook, they will aspire to further expansion, and so on. Their plan is embodied in the "Protocols of the Elders of Zion", and their present conduct is the best proof of what we are saying.
Israel, Judaism and Jews challenge Islam and the Moslem people. "May the cowards never sleep.""
Israel takes up less than 1% of the Middle East. Does anyone here think that they (Jews) are bent on world domination?
Hussein is responsible for the plight of his people, not us. All he has to do is allow weapons inspectors into his country. Why aren't you arguing that he is at fault because he won't give into this simple demand? It's because you're brainwashed with the typical ultra left wing arguement that the US should be blamed first before EVEN a psychotic dictator like Hussein. Are you even aware that Iraq can export oil in exchange for aid through a U.N. mandate. They are able to get almost 8 billion in aid annually. Iraq takes advantage of less than half of this. He spends billions building new mosques in his honor on every birthday, but the liberals NEVER talk about that. Boats have been repeatedly caught coming from Iraq with UN food supplies, which they are trying to sell for currency to fund his regime, and the liberals remain silent. The facts listed below from UN reports get released and the liberals still remain silent.
Don't you realize that keeping the citizens poor and uneducated as possible is to his benefit? He, like Castro, can scapegoat the U.S. as the responsible party for their plight because he controls all aspects of the media. But, by far, his most powerful weapon is the proliferation of your arguement and the increasingly popular "blame America first" movement.
See the following articles:
http://www.rferl.org/nca/features/1999/08/F.RU.990818135320.html
http://www.usembassy-israel.org.il/publish/peace/archives/2001/january/me0126a.html
"In a stinging letter issued recently, the United Nations has pointed out the extent of Saddam Hussein's callous disregard for the welfare of his own people.
Baghdad has inexplicably delayed ordering sufficient supplies for health, education, water, sanitation and the oil sector under the UN-administered Oil-for-Food program. This program allows Iraq to sell oil in order to purchase supplies for the Iraqi people, to rebuild critical infrastructure and to ensure the continued production of oil. Using the considerable funds in this program, Iraq orders supplies every six months, and submits these orders to the UN for approval.
In the most recently completed six-month phase of the program (June to December, 2000), Saddam Hussein's dereliction in providing for the Iraqi people and the nation's economy is laid bare.
During this period, US$7.8 billion were available to Iraq for purchases during this period, yet Iraq submitted purchase applications worth only US$4.26 billion - barely 54 percent of the amount available for purchases to help the humanitarian needs of the Iraqi people.
In key sectors of the Iraqi economy, Saddam's regime's disregard for the welfare of the Iraqi people is made plain:
-- Despite the international concern for the health and nutritional needs of the Iraqi people, the total value of applications received in the health sector was only US$83.6 million. US$624.7 million are allocated by the UN for the Iraqi health sector, meaning that Saddam Hussein spent only 13 percent of funds available for health supplies it could have purchased
-- Iraq submitted only US$21.5 million in applications for educational supplies, barely six percent of the US$351.5 allocated for this purpose.
-- Iraq submitted only US$184.7 million in water and sanitation applications, out of US$551.1 million available.
-- Iraq requested only US$22.7 million in applications for spare parts and equipment for the oil sector, just three percent of the US$600 million allotted.
More than US$4 billion sit in a United Nations escrow account, available to the Iraqi government for the purchase of the humanitarian supplies the Iraqi people so desperately need, and which the Iraqi regime claims it cannot obtain due to economic sanctions.
Yet the list goes on of Saddam's maneuvers that continue to mire the Iraqi people in misery.
In December 2000, Iraq shut off and then slowed down its oil exports in an attempt to extort control of oil revenues. According to the United Nations, as of January 10, 2001, Iraq's reduced exports had already amounted to lost revenue totaling US$1.4 billion dollars.
Baghdad's recent insistence on selling its oil in Euros rather than US dollars, which is the worldwide industry standard, will likely result in Iraq losing US$250 to US$300 million yearly in conversion fees and lost interest.
Many countries in the world have made concessions and gestures aimed at reducing Iraq's international isolation. Saddam Hussein's inaction in the past six months shows that he cares little for these gestures, and cares even less for the Iraqi people. As long as Saddam Hussein blocks United Nations efforts to provide needed assistance to the Iraqi people and economy, he shows that his regime will continue to pose a threat to the region and remains the primary cause of suffering in Iraq."
one and everybody knows why!
