Bombings Continue, and Public Health Conditions are Set to Worsen in Iraq

opinion by Ruth Wilson

On June 6, Saddam Hussein suspended the UN oil-for food program. Thismeans that Iraq has essentially stopped exporting oil, and is notearning money to purchase food, agricultural supplies or medicine. Ifthis situation continues, eventually Iraq will start running out offood and its people will go hungry again. Iraq contains the secondlargest reserves of oil in the world.

It appears that US leaders are going along with Saddam’s decision tostop oil exports. Why? One possibility is that American corporationsstand to profit from this decision. If Iraq stops exporting oil, andSaudi Arabia takes over its quota, as happened essentially from1990-1999, American companies will make billions, since the Saudirulers invest heavily in the US economy.

During and after the 1991 Gulf War, 500,000 children died (under age5) in Iraq, according to UNICEF estimates. Iraqi children died due tothe war and to the destruction of Iraq’s infrastructure, which led tocontaminated water and malnutrition. The oil embargo against Iraq,which began before the Gulf War, continues today. The only hole in theembargo has been the oil-for-food program, and this did not beginuntil 1996, and has only risen to a semi-adequate level in the pasttwo years.

In addition, the US Airforce is still bombing Iraq fairly regularly.The bombings ordered by President Bush in February received newscoverage, but generally the bombardment of Iraq is scarcely noticed bythe press. Since December 1998 the bombs have killed over 346civilians and wounded over 971, according to Iraqi figures. The latestincident was on June 20, when 23 young people were killed and 11wounded when US warplanes targeted a soccer field in a northern Iraqitown. US officials immediately denied responsibility for thedeaths.

What you can do

Call the Congressional Switchboard: (202)-224-3121. Ask foryour Congressman, the State Department and President Bush. Tell themit is time to end the oil embargo on Iraq, stop the bombings, and helpIraqi children by sending food and medicine. Tell them we should repayIraq and repair the damage of the Gulf War.

Contact the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC) 1101 Penn. AveSE, Washington, DC 20003 202-543-6176; 202-546-5103 (fax)saveageneration.org

For more information, see Yahoo news and the Jan.1999 issue of theWashington Free Press atwww.wafreepress.org.