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These are some cold statistics regarding the sanctions against Iraq, which
do have a profound impact on the Iraqi people regardless of what anyone says
or thinks who is to blame. The sanctions only further strengthen, not
weaken, Saddam Hussein's dictatorship:
Seven years after the imposition of the blockade on the people of Iraq, more
than 1.2 million people, including 750,000 children below the age of 5, have
died from starvation, malnutrition, and disease. - Verified by U.N. 1997
Over 3,500 schools and educational offices in Iraq were damaged during the
Gulf War. Most of these buildings cannot be repaired due to the sanctions -
UNESCO 1993
"Alarming food shortages are causing irreparable damage to an entire
generation of Iraqi children." - U.N. FAO & WFP 1995
Water treatment plants lack spare parts, equipment, treatment chemicals,
proper maintenance, and adequate qualified staff. Plants often act solely as
pumping stations without any treatment. - UNICEF 1998
At least 80% of a family's income is spent on food. - U.N. FAO & WFP 1995
As many as 70% of Iraqi women are suffering from anemia - U.N. 1999
Due to depleted uranium incorporated into weapons used by Britain and the
U.S. in the Gulf War the Iraqi population is experiencing a six-fold
increase in cancer, especially leukemia. - U.N. 1999
The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that access to potable water is
currently 50% of the 1990 level in urban areas and only 33% in rural areas.
- U.N. 1999
Substantive progress in reducing female illiteracy has ceased and regressed
to mid-1980 level. - UNICEF 1999
Approximately 250 people die every day in Iraq due to the effect of the
sanctions. - U.N. 1999
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The sanctions are a weapon of mass destruction that make a terrible
difference in the daily lives (and deaths) of ordinary Iraqi people and do
little or nothing to affect Saddam Hussein. In terms of the scale of this
human tragedy, the death toll is over 200 times that of the World Trade
Center. So I think all Americans need to get together on this and tell our
government to drop the sanctions.
Dan
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: War
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| (...) This is a "have you stopped beating your dog" question. Shame on you. Madeline Albright is not my nominee for best Secretary of State for the 20th century, and her answer to this question is part of the reason why. I reject that 500K children (...) (23 years ago, 2-Oct-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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