The following is an archived copy of a message sent to a Discussion List run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq.
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If you go to the website IRIS sent, you can click on Talking Point and submit your opinion regarding whether the sanctions should be lifted and write a comment. Carolyn IRIS Author wrote: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/middle_east/newsid_1049000/1049892.stm > > BBC NEWS > Friday, 1 December, 2000, 14:33 GMT > Eyewitness: Bitter legacy of sanctions > > These mothers say sanctions killed their > children > By Ben Brown in Baghdad > > Saddam Hussein brought sanctions upon > his > country - but it is not him who is > suffering. > Instead, the Iraqi people are paying the > price > from the cradle to the grave. > > In Iraq's hospitals, doctors say there > are > frequent power cuts and only rudimentary > > equipment because of sanctions. > > Many babies are severely malnourished > and of > every 1,000 babies born, 108 will die > before > their first birthday. > > Paediatrician Dr > Abdullah Hamzawi > showed me one baby in > his run-down ward. > "She weighs only 40% > of the weight she is > supposed to be," he > said. > > "Such babies carry the > risk of 50% mortality. > Fifty per cent she may > die. I just ask why > should this happen," he > adds. > > Back in time > > Ten years after sanctions were first > imposed, > Iraq is being driven further and further > back in > time. This oil-rich nation is becoming > more and > more under-developed > > Even for babies lucky > enough to leave > hospital, the prospects > are a life of poverty > and misery. > > In Iraq, education used > to be a priority, but > under sanctions and > Saddam, it comes > second to survival. > > One 14-year-old boy I > met sells cigarettes to > support his family. Like > about half of Iraq's children, he's > dropped out > of school. > > "My father is old, my mother can't work > and my > brother is a conscript. I have to sell > cigarettes > to keep my family alive," he said. > > If you do make it through school and on > to > university, you might wonder whether > it's > worth it. Forget the internet, books > from the > 1970s and 80s may be your latest works > of > reference. > > Brain drain > > Although there is a brain drain from > Iraq, some > students are staying. > > "Here education is free, > so I think it's my turn > to pay back, says one > young woman. "I'd stay > here and I'd serve my > country." > > But in Iraq's blockaded > economy, teachers and > civil servants, for > example, earn around > 50p a week. Out on > the streets, many > choose to sell their > books to supplement their income. > > What is the point of graduating, some > feel, if > you end up at an auction house, selling > off > your most treasured possessions just to > make > ends meet? > > Recently, the United Nations have eased > their > blockade and would lift it entirely if > Saddam > Hussein would comply with their demands. > > But for now, those with nothing left to > sell > have one last choice - to beg. > > A decade on, this is still the agony of > sanctions, from birth until death. > > ===== > Want to know the TRUTH about Iraq? > Iraq Resource Information Site > http://www.geocities.com/iraqinfo > > American Intifada > http://www.egroups.com/group/American_Intifada > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Yahoo! Shopping - Thousands of Stores. Millions of Products. > http://shopping.yahoo.com/ > > -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> > eGroups eLerts > It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! > http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/0/_/790251/_/975772237/ > ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> > > ------------------------------------------------- > *** Iraq Action Coalition Discussion Forum *** > > http://iraqaction.org/discussion.html > ------------------------------------ > *To Post a message, send it to: iac-discussion@eGroups.com > *To Subscribe, send a blank message to: iac-discussion-subscribe@eGroups.com > *To Unsubscribe, send a blank message to: iac-discussion-unsubscribe@eGroups.com > * To see the List Guidelines, go to: http://iraqaction.org/discussion.html > *Any questions, contact the List Moderator at rmasri@leb.net > ----------------------------------------------- -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a discussion list run by the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq For removal from list, email soc-casi-discuss-request@lists.cam.ac.uk Full details of CASI's various lists can be found on the CASI website: http://www.casi.org.uk