page
      8
     
    
   
   
    
     
      7
     
     
      dew
     
     
      =
     
     
      cs
     
     
      oes
     
     
      7
     
     
      ae
     
     
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      warfare:
      opposition
      MP
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      By
      Jon
      Elmer
     
     
      Source:
      Dalhousie
      Gazette
     
    
   
   
    
     
      HALIFAX
      (CUP)
      -
     
     
      United
      Nation
      sponsored
     
     
      sanctions
      are
      devastating
     
     
      the
      most
      vulnerable
      in
      Iraq,
     
     
      says
      an
      opposition
     
     
      politician
      who
      is
      currently
     
     
      touring
      Canadian
     
     
      universities.
     
    

    
     
      Svend
      Robinson,
      a
     
     
      New
      Democratic
      Party
     
     
      MP,
      knows
      from
      his
     
     
      firsthand
      experience
      the
     
     
      harsh
     
     
      impact
      the
      sanctions
      have
     
     
      had.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      situation
      in
     
     
      Iraq
      is
      one
      that
      I
      react
      to
     
     
      with
      urgency,
      anguish,
     
     
      anger
      and
      shame,"
      said
     
     
      Robinson
      in
      a
      recent
      talk
     
    
   
   
    
     
      at
      Dalhousie
      University.
      "Asa
     
     
      Canadian
      my
      government
      is
      a
     
     
      part
      of
      this."
     
    

    
     
      The
      sanctions
      have
      been
     
     
      in
      place
      ever
      since
      Iraq's
      1991
     
     
      defeat
      in
      the
      Persian
      Gulf
      War,
     
     
      and
      are
     
     
      widely
      held
      to
      be
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      most
      brutal
      embargoes
      ever
     
     
      enforced
      on
      a
      nation.
     
    

    
     
      Recent
      UNICEF
     
     
      studies
      show
      the
      death
      toll
     
     
      among
      children
      is
      5,000
      per
     
     
      month,
      a
      direct
      result
      of
      what
     
     
      Robinson
      says
      is
      the
      use
      of
     
     
      "hunger
      and
      poverty
      as
     
     
      instruments
      of
      war"
     
    

    
     
      Both
      the
      Geneva
      and
     
     
      UN
      Charters
      condemn
      the
      use
     
     
      of
      starvation
      and
      malnutrition
     
     
      as
      warfare.
     
    

    
     
      The
      sanctions
      prohibit
     
     
      import
      of
      anything
      that
      can
      be
     
     
      of
      "dual
      purpose"
      for
      use
      in
     
     
      military
      devices
      -a
     
     
      list
      that
      includes
      toilet
      paper,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      children's
      potties
      and
     
     
      pencils,
      "because
      of
      the
     
     
      lead
      content
      of
      graphite."
     
     
      Meanwhile,
      the
     
     
      UN's
      'Oil-for-Food'
     
     
      program,
      where
      Iraq
      sells
     
     
      a
      fraction
      of
      its
      oil
      supply
     
     
      in
      return
      for
     
     
      aid,
      amounts
      to
      amere
      25
     
     
      cents
      daily
      for
      each
      Iraqi.
     
     
      Robinson,
      who
      has
     
     
      visited
      Iraq,
      says
      the
     
     
      country
      is
      facing
      horrible
     
     
      conditions.
     
     
      "I
      was
      returning
      to
     
     
      a
      situation
      of
      collapse,"
      he
     
     
      said.
      "Not
      just
      of
      physical
     
     
      infrastructure,
      but
      the
     
     
      whole
     
     
      social
      and
      intellectual
     
     
      infrastructure
      as
      well."
     
     
      With
      its
      severe
     
     
      shortage,
      only
      thre
      per
     
     
      cent
      of
      funds
      are
      allocated
     
     
      to
      education.
      Add
      to
      this
     
     
      aban
      on
      all
      types
      of
      books
     
     
      and
      journals
      prohibited
      for
     
     
      import,
      the
      country
      is
     
     
      literally
      being
      caught
      off
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      New
      Democratic
      Park
      MP
      Svend
      Robinson
     
     
      SSAA
      aA
      ;
      ee
     
    
   
   
    
     
      alee
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      .
     
     
      6.2
      6a
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      i
     
     
      4
     
     
      ts
     
    
   
   
    
     
      mass
      amounts
      of
      intellectual
     
     
      information.
     
    

    
     
      "It
      is
      often
      forgotten
     
     
      that
      in
      1990,
      despite
      the
     
     
      Iran-Iraq
      war
      [during
      the
     
     
      1980s],
      Iraq
      was
      one
      of
      the
     
     
      most
      advanced
      countries
      in
     
     
      the
      Middle
      East
      in
     
     
      economic,
      social
      and
     
     
      cultural
      rights,"
      wrote
     
     
      Robinson
     
     
      in
      his
      January
      2000
     
     
      Delegation
      Report
      on
      Iraq.
     
    

    
     
      Today,
      the
      NDP
     
     
      politician
      says,
      the
      system
      in
     
     
      ruins,
      unemployment
      is
     
     
      epidemic,
      inflation
      is
     
     
      skyrocketing
      and
      the
     
     
      average
      salary
      is
      $5
      (US)
      a
     
     
      month.
     
    

    
     
      _Add
      to
      this
      appalling
     
     
      cancer
      rates
      and
      massive
     
     
      numbers
      of
      congenital
     
     
      deformities
      -
      this
      past
      year
     
     
      there
      were
      165
      cases
      alone
     
     
      ina
      single
      tiny
      clinic
      in
      the
     
     
      city
      of
      Basra
      -
      due
      to
     
     
      thousands
      of
      tonnes
      of
     
     
      depleted
      uranium
      in
      bombs
     
     
      that
      have
      been
      rained
      down
     
     
      on
      Iraq.
     
    

    
     
      And
      the
      bombings
     
     
      still
      continue:
      in
      the
      18
     
     
      months
      between
      May
      1998
     
     
      and
      January
      of
      this
      year,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      some
     
     
      22,000
      combat
      missions
     
     
      were
      flown
      in
      southern
      Iraq
     
     
      alone.
     
    

    
     
      Robinson
      argues
      that
     
     
      once
      Canadians
      truly
      know
     
     
      what
      Ottawa,
      who
      supports
     
     
      the
      UN
      sanctions,
      are
      party
     
     
      to
      in
      Iraq
      they
      will
      demand
     
     
      change.
     
    

    
     
      The
      opposition
     
     
      politician
      also
      said
      that
      those
     
     
      opposed
      to
      sanctions
      are
     
     
      not
      supporters
      of
      Saddam
     
     
      Hussein,
      the
      Iraqi
      dictator.
     
    

    
     
      In
      fact,
      says
     
     
      Robinson,
      asking
      for
      the
     
     
      removal
      of
      sanctions
      does
     
     
      not
      affect
      the
      Iraqi
      ruling
     
     
      class
      because
      the
      leaders
      of
     
     
      Iraq
      are
      the
      least
      to
      suffer
     
     
      from
      the
      sanctions.
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      the
      poor
      who
      are
     
     
      suffering
      the
      most.
     
    

    
     
      But
      as
      he
      ended
      his
     
     
      talk,
      Robinson
      left
      the
     
     
      crowd
      with
      a
      note
      of
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "Never
      doubt
      that
      a
     
     
      small
      group
      of
      thoughtful,
     
     
      committed
      citizens
      can
     
     
      change
      the
      world.
      Indeed,
     
     
      it
      is
      the
      only
      thing
      that
      ever