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Monday, February 2, 2004
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There
is something that bothers me concerning Iraq: We know that
approximately 500 American soldiers have been killed since
the beginning of the conflict. But, on the other hand, do
we know how many Iraqis died in the meantime? Media delight
in reporting the numerous crimes committed by Saddam Hussein,
but they keep silent when it comes to the death of men and
women to whom the coalition pretended to bring freedom...
 In
November, MEDACT,
a British humanitarian organization made up of professionals
of health, does justice to the Iraqi people by means of
a
report. According to this document between 20,000 and
55,000 Iraqis died from March 20 to October 20, 2003. Moreover,
tens of thousands of people have been wounded and many of
them have suffered serious traumatic experiences. It would
also be necessary to speak about the indirect effects of
the war through diseases, the dismantling of the social
and health services, the poverty, the environmental deterioration...
In short, this
independent study shows that the war has sharply worsen
the health and living conditions of Iraqis and that it will
take years or perhaps generations to check the consequences.
 Then
I think with sadness of those intellectual people who justify
the war because it allowed ousting an odious dictator. A war itself based on arrogance and lies, and shamefully giving the priority to the economic interests of a few nations. Of course it is justice that Saddam appears in court!
But how can we forget those tens of thousands of men and
women sacrificed in the name of a pseudo-democracy by the
American government, itself elected on doubtful basis and
which did nothing but violate the international law!
 Of
course, my own country, France, has actively supported the
Iraqi tyrant during several decades and therefore has no
lesson to give to others. But the international community
has to face the reality: What is the value of our conception
of democracy for a people on whom we unloaded depleted uranium
bombs, to whom we imposed a draconian embargo during 12
years and whose children we let die per hundreds of thousands?
In my opinion not much, because democracy without fraternity
means absolutely nothing.
Geoffroi
du Chambon
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| >
Medact's website |
| >
Continuing Collateral Damage: The health and environmental
costs of war on Iraq |
| > Photos by
Thierry Robin (Droits
des Femmes - Centifolia)
who shows in Neuchâtel (Town Hall) from January 5th
to 16th and in Lausanne (Sanabel) from January 23rd to February
7th, 2004. |
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