It turns out that our 'liberation' of the Iraqi people involves a
tragic rise in the rate of Iraqi child deaths. (Scroll down to the October 19 medialens alert). An excerpt is enough to make you want to cry:
UNICEF estimates that some indications showed improvement in Iraqi child mortality between 1999 and 2002 - the death rate dropped to 125 in 2002 (from 130 in 1999). However, this trend has
reversed under the occupation and child mortality is actually worsening as compared to 2002 levels. Wright
added:
"Since the war more children in Iraq are malnourished, fewer children are protected from immunisable diseases and there has been an increase in the incidence of diarrhoeal disease." (Email to Media Lens, UNICEF Iraq Information, October 19, 2004)
In other words, the "coalition" is now presiding over levels of Iraqi infant mortality worse than those described by Blair himself as brutal. And this in the context of the "coalition" having spent just $29m of the allotted $18.4bn US tax dollars allocated for Iraq's reconstruction on water, sanitation, health, roads, bridges, and public safety. (Naomi Klein, 'Why is war-torn Iraq giving $190,000 to Toys R Us?', The Guardian, October 16, 2004)
Quoting Iraqi Ministry of Health data, UNICEF reported last month that about three out of 10 children in Iraq are chronically malnourished or stunted. This is a consequence of underlying poverty and the inadequate intake of micronutrients. Acute malnutrition among children has almost doubled since the war began, moving from 4 per cent to 7.7 percent.
Cancer cases are also skyrocketing, and depleted uranium is also at dangerous levels, as the medialens alert details.
And what is really OUTRAGEOUS AND DAMNING is that the United States of America is clearly violating international law by allowing this horrific mess to develop and continue.
As the occupying power, the "coalition" is accountable under international
law for this looting and lawlessness. Former US Proconsul, Paul Bremer, told a conference of insurance agents that Baghdad was already in chaos by the time he arrived:
"We paid a big price for not stopping it because it established an atmosphere of lawlessness. We never had enough troops on the ground."
(Thomas Ricks, Robin Wright, The Washington Post, October 5, 2004)
Let's be clear what all this means: George W. Bush is an INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIMINAL!