What effect did sactions have on Iraq's ability to prepare for y2k? Interesting reference to public infrastructure breakdown...anyone have any info on this?

Iraq's hospitals on verge of collapse, Red Cross says

Copyright ) 2000 Nando Media

Copyright ) 2000 Agence France-Press

From Time to Time: Nando's in-depth look at the 20th century

BAGHDAD (January 23, 2000 7:48 a.m. EST http://www.nandotimes.com) - Iraqi hospitals are close to collapse, a senior Red Cross official warned Sunday. A rehabilitation program is under way to try to stave off disaster. "The most important problem in our view in Iraq at the moment is the increasingly precarious situation of the public infrastructure," said Beat Schweizer, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Iraq. "We have noticed that particularly in the hospitals, the situation is such that these hospitals will take only a short time and these hospitals will not be functional anymore," he told AFP. "Under these circumstances of course you cannot provide medical care even if you have imported the equipment from abroad," the official said. Iraq is allowed to import humanitarian aid, including medicines and medical supplies, under the U.N. oil-for-food program, which allows Baghdad to sell oil under U.N. supervision, despite sanctions in force since its 1990 conquest of Kuwait. In theory, the ceiling on those exports was removed under U.N. Resolution 1284, passed in December, though Baghdad has yet to accept the new sanctions and arms inspection regimes the measure sets up. But "even the new resolution and the new (phase of) the oil-for-food program does not address this issue," of the country's crumbling infrastructure, Schweizer said. He added that the Red Cross had "planned over the next years, I would say, to do the rehabilitation work of 11 hospitals," including ones in Basra, Baghdad and Mosul. But he warned that "the works we are doing will not bring back these hospitals to their previous standards ... Our work is to make sure that they remain functioning." In August 1998, UNICEF published its first study on child health in Iraq since 1991, highlighting that infant mortality rates were lower in the Kurdish-held north of the country, which remains outside Baghdad's control. According to the figures, deaths among those under 5 in the government-controlled south and center have doubled under the U.N. sanctions from 56 per 1,000 before 1990, to 131 per 1,000 by 1999. The health ministry on Thursday said more than 14,000 Iraqis died because of U.N. sanctions in December 1999, bringing the total number of embargo deaths to 1.26 million since 1990. Of the 14,000 who died, nearly 6,500 were children under the age of 5. Most died as a result of chronic diarrhea, malnutrition and respiratory problems, the ministry said.

Link to story:

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-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), January 24, 2000

Answers

more than 14,000 Iraqis died because of U.N. sanctions in December 1999, bringing the total number of embargo deaths to 1.26 million since 1990. Of the 14,000 who died, nearly 6,500 were children under the age of 5. Most died as a result of chronic diarrhea, malnutrition and respiratory problems

Nice one Klinton and Khofi...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 24, 2000.

Nothing to do with Y2K - UN sanctions! As always the people suffer.

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), January 24, 2000.

My first post today. That is because the "SANCTION" thing rubs me the wrong way. Why must the common people be made to suffer because of the stupidity of their leaders? If the leaders are at fault, go after them. Why make babies, children, common men and women starve, or die for the lack of proper medical attention because of an idiot at their head? I will never understand that. Possibly some of you out there with more up top than I have can explain this to me. If you try to say it is to get the people to topple the idiot at the top, forget it, that does not work, example Cuba, Example Iraq.

-- Notforlong (Fsur@aol.com), January 24, 2000.

I have personally lost total faith in my government to suply me with the truth. I don't know what Sadda Hussein is like, only what they present me with for information.

I met Randy Weaver of the RUBY RIDGE standoff incident. I was expecting some half backed, slow, crude, maroon, as that is what my govt and the tv movie made him look like.

He is very bright, articulate, and seemed very nice to me. He is not angry, resentful or aggressive at all. Then of course there is that Waco thing that we are finding we were taken for a ride.

We of course also have Ossam ben Ladin or whatever. If a garbage bag falls of a truck on the freeway, the press links it to him, so that we can justify bombing the hell out of him. Of course, if we guess wrong, then we blow the heck out of a pharacutical company half way around the world that had nothing to do with ben Ladin. Oops, bury that story.

We used to have clear lines, and we didn't spin the news. Now the lines are not drawn with a jpen, they are made with spray cans and it is hard to find the lines.

What is clear is like you all say: people are dying like crazy and most people don't even know or more sadly, care.

jim

-- Jim Sharp (JIM4RLORD@aol.com), January 24, 2000.

May they all burn in hell wih there precious Allah.

-- Cpl. Ed Souchon (eddie_souchon@hotmail.com), January 24, 2000.

There's always one isn't there?

BTW what was the US casualty list - 15?

And the brass let Saddam get away - so they could play another day...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 24, 2000.

I often woundered where the billions go that are going into Iraq under the oil for food program this program also permits the use of money for hospitals.

Look at the Iraqi television and see if one of Sadams prodige looks starved?

It's all a scam.

The $$ are going into offshore accounts and the people starve.

Don't blame anyone but the people of Iraq who are stupid enugh to put up with it in the name of the "Holy War". Religion was and IS used to oppress and controll people. I do not make any distinction what faith they are all the same.

-- RickJohn (rickjohn1@yahoo.com), January 24, 2000.

"Religion was and IS used to oppress and controll people. I do not make any distinction what faith they are all the same."

You're talking about the religion of the almighty dollar, right Rickjohn?

That's what the war was all about. The dollar. Oil. So the killings are justified... 1,260,000 dead... +15

Oh!

Silly me, now I get it...

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), January 24, 2000.

Notforlong, I don't like the sanctions thing either, but it does have a long history of being an effective "war" tool. Laying seige to a castle, cutting off supplies to the occupants within, can bring an otherwise standstill situation to a much quicker end.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), January 24, 2000.

Andy:

How exactly does lifting economic sanctions help the common folk? If there is more money flowing into that country, how exactly does it get to the hospitals, water treatment plants, etc?? It is truly a tragedy that these people suffer this way, and though I am certainly not a hawk, and no big fan of the government, your anger should be directed at that regime in iraq-We are not killing those people; that government is.

-- futureshock (gray@matter.com), January 24, 2000.

---not sure what to do with iraq other than helping to "reorganize" the fatcats at the top. Dissent in that country is met with immediate torture of the dissenter and the dissenters family. Those numbers are probably much higher than the unfortunate childrens tragic numbers. They use poison gas spraying on their own people. To give in now just goes to legitimize their oppressive regime. We'll probably never know the "real" reason for the war there, or why we supported him (saddam) up to a certain point. It all boils down to these vague "cartels" that we loosely refer to as the "globalists" warring on each other. The "people" in ALL the countries suffer in some form or another. Just a matter of degree. Some day some joe abdullah six pack of coffee over there will have enough, and pop that turkey. Happens to all dictators eventually. Now if the sanctions were REAL, with no cheating by jordan, turkey, etc, I mean 100% sanctions of everything, and the western banks refused to do business with anyone or thing connected with iraq, then that regime would collapse pretty quick. What's wrong is that banks are allowed to look the other way when it comes to big bucks, and the international companies have a "nothing's holy" attitude towards profits and accountability. All we as concerned people can do is to keep chipping away at the material stranglehold of the international companies. Own one share of stock in xyz company. Lets you go to the yearly or quarterly shareholders meetings, you can step forward and say your piece. We can get off the grid, go into alternate energy more, grow more of your own food, not support the mass media news or their sponsors, stop making heroes out of sports or hollywood stars, teach your kids what real "heroism" is--on and on--anything to get independent in any small way from supporting the mega corporations, and the puppet governments everywhere. We got the illegal slavery draft stopped. There's an example for the good right there. We're gradually turning the corner on restoring gun rights and individual responsibility. More people than ever are producing their own electricity, and are homeschooling. Lot of examples for the positive. Many drops will fill a bucket.

-- zog (zzoggy@yahoo.com), January 24, 2000.

As surely as water runs downhill, and as surely as nature abhors a vacuum, any country that can carry a big enough stick will do whatever is necessary to maintain it's energy supply. Right or wrong really makes no difference when it comes to survival.(Practically speaking ..not morally speaking )

-- citizen (lost@sea.com), January 24, 2000.

In answer to 'notforlong', who wrote....

"Why must the common people be made to suffer because of the stupidity of their leaders?"

Look, if the 'common' people of Iraq ALLOW themselves a 'leader' like Hussein, they deserve everything they get. The fact that Hussein is their leader means that they TACITLY approve of him. So be it.

The ignorant liberal always makes the disconect. You can not dis- associate the 'leader' from the 'people'.

The argument of whether we OUGHT to sanction Iraq is an altogether different issue. But do not play ridiculous games and lament the fate of the poor people of Iraq who maintain a homicidal maniac as their 'leader'.

Paul Milne

-- Paul Milne (fedinfo@halifax.com), January 24, 2000.

1995 The World Almanac states that Iraq's growth rate is: 3.7% The population stated was 19,890,000. That is an increase of 735930 (approx) per year. If the hospitals are malfunctioning that should bring their growth rate down to a sane level.

But naturally most people don't see it that way because they're illiterate. Unlimited growth for an infinite period of time is "gods way", right? Go forth and multiply until everybody starves or everybody comes to the United States, right? Quick Hokie, can you say, "what about the children?"

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.net), January 25, 2000.