Yes Wobbly, Saddam is a truly perverted individual. That is not in dispute. But:
"The continuation of sanction imposed on Iraq since 1991 has had a staggering effect on the health of children. International health and aid organisations, as well as UN agencies' figures estimate that around 6000 children are dying every month. A total of 570,000 have died from malnutrition and disease between 1990 and 1996. Since then this figure is estimated to have reached over 1 million. Since then, this figure is estimated to have reached 1.5 million."
- Medical Aid for Iraqi Children
From a paper presented to the International Law Association, posted by blur in another thread (referenced):
"Based on figures quoted by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in January 2000, during the two and a half years that the oil for food programme has operated, it has delivered only US $74 of food per annum per head of population. When it is recalled that, according to UN sources, Iraq was importing 70% of its food requirements even before the devastation of its agricultural sector by the Gulf War, the inadequacy of this sum is self-evident.
The same statement by Albright reveals that the programme only delivered $15 worth of medical supplies per annum per head of population, which is manifestly inadequate to deal with even the most urgent of medical needs. The report of the Secretary General dated 12 November 1999 (“the Secretary General’s report”) lists at paragraphs 45-47 a sample of the medical supplies which are in short supply, including antibiotics, syringes, anaesthetics, vaccines and drugs for chronic illnesses. It should be noted in this context that the US blocked a number of medical supply contracts in 1997 upon the grounds that the shipments might “illegally” include some free samples."
Raubvogel - don't rant without reading the full article quoted. The sanctions dealing with arms imports (including weapons of mass destruction) will not change. We are talking about the sanctions limiting medical and humanitarian aid.
How about this one:
The First Additional Protocol to the Geneva Conventions 1977
Article 48 provides: Basic Rule
"In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives."
I don't believe we've done that.
Or perhaps more damning:
Article 54 makes provision for the "protection of objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population" as follows:
Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare is prohibited.
It is prohibited to attack, destroy, remove or render useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, such as foodstuffs, agricultural areas for the production of foodstuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water, installations and supplies and irrigation works, for the specific purpose of denying them for their sustenance value to the civilian population or to the adverse party, whatever the motive, whether in order to starve out civilians, to cause them to move away, or for any other motive ...
