http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/25235HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN IRAQ SUBJECT OF JULY 30TH NEWS CONFERENCE
Submitted by davidswanson on Mon, 2007-07-30 02:18. Media
By Sherwood Ross
(July 30) ---If George Bush were to fall to his knees and weep bitter tears of penance for the rest of his life over the ruin and suffering he has visited upon the people of Iraq, he would not live long enough to expatiate his crimes, even if he lived forever.
Not only have more than 600,000 Iraqis been slaughtered by the illegal war he has inflicted upon that nation, but his invasion has so corrupted its polity, so devastated its infrastructure, so corroded the opportunity for leading an ordinary, peaceful life, that Iraq’s people are unquestionably worse off under the chaotic “democracy” Mr. Bush has imposed upon them than they ever were under the cruel tyranny of Saddam Hussein. Yes, George Bush is probably the only man on the planet who could make Saddam Hussein look good.
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While there is an urgent need for greater humanitarian assistance, Oxfam and NCCI believe “that ending the conflict must be the top priority for everyone involved in Iraq,” the two organizations said in their July 30th press statement, “Iraqi government and multi-national forces must also ensure their troops respect their moral and legal obligations not to harm civilians and their property.”
That’s a polite way to say “stop the killing.” An estimated 78,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed by coalition air strikes in Iraq, as the U.S. military seeks to hold down infantry casualties engaging in ground combat.
At today’s news conference, NCCI and Oxfam will call on the Iraqi government to extend food parcel distribution, increase emergency cash payments, and back up local aid organizations. They’ll ask the central government to delegate more authority to local governments to deliver the aid and for foreign governments, including the US and UK, to support Iraqi ministries in the relief effort.
Meanwhile, back in the U.S., Mr. Bush, who is served three square meals a day and has no difficulty turning on the lights or getting running water and is in no danger from suicide bombers or aerial strikes or IEDs, continues to focus on how to defeat “terrorists” in Iraq, with nary a word about the “humanitarian crisis.” If his “management” of the war has been a disaster, his effort to rescue Iraq’s suffering millions has been a calamity. If Americans will not impeach this tyrant, they do not deserve even the few remaining freedoms he has not taken from their grasp.
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