Monday, February 9, 1998
Protesters urge U.S. to rethink stance on Iraq
POLITICS Committee attributes deaths of 1.5 million children to
economic sanctions
By Dennis Lim
Daily Bruin Contributor
Protesting the deaths of 1.5 million children, a coalition of
local organizations descended on Westwood’s Federal Building
Thursday to try to get the U.S. government to consider another
stance toward Iraq.
That 1.5 million, according to the Save the Iraqi Children
Committee, is the number of children that have died from the
economic sanctions placed on Iraq by the United Nations.
The committee came to the Federal Building Thursday afternoon
with picket signs and megaphones to protest any potential bombing
of Iraq.
"The Save the Iraqi Children Committee is a coalition of
different organizations and individuals committed to ending the
sanctions on Iraq and saving the children of Iraq," said Michel
Shehadeh, regional director of the American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC).
Those involved in the protest saw the present situation in Iraq
as a potential catalyst for war.
"The U.S. government is using weapons inspections as a pretext
for a new military assault on the people of Iraq," one flier
read.
President Bill Clinton is reportedly considering using military
force to coerce Iraq into allowing U.N. weapons inspections teams
into sites suspected to house biological weapons.
"The real aim of this aggression is to overthrow the Iraqi
government and replace it with one subservient to Washington, in
order to ensure U.S. domination of the oil-rich region," read the
flier.
Abdullah Toukan, the science advisor to King Hussein of Jordan,
sees the situation differently.
"Let’s think about what will happen if we take down Iraq. What
will happen to Iraq? How will it disintegrate? Will the Kurds
take-over? The Shiites? Will we see the Balkanization of Iraq?"
asked Toukan.
Toukan also voiced his concern that any show of force by the
West could be used by Iraq to incite opposition to the United
States and Israel.
"He (Saddam Hussein) wants the U.S. to attack. He’ll make sure
that each of the sites the U.S. will want to attack are packed with
children, then he’ll say to his people, ‘Look at what the Zionists
and the imperialists have done to our country,’" Toukan
continued.
Many in the protest believed that this was the only time they
had to voice their anti-war views before any actions take
place.
"If things continue the way they are right now, there is
definitely going to be a war," Elizabeth Laricy said.
"And if we have one it will be one of aggression. The last
progressive war was the Civil War; since then all the wars have
been aggressive. We have to get the message out now before the
propaganda starts," Laricy continued.
Casey Kasem, the famous disc jockey, who is of Persian heritage,
expressed a sentiment shared by all in the protest.
"Now is not the time for smart bombs – now is the time for smart
diplomats."