In many respects, this occurred. After the war, economic sanctions were imposed, ostensibly to compel Iraq's disarmament. In theory, sanctions hurt a country's rulers while sparing its people. The exact reverse has happened in Iraq. The toll on children is especially deadly.
Children die from such easily treatable conditions as diarrhea and dehydration.
They will be physically and mentally stunted for the rest of their lives. In the name of the international community, U.N. economic sanctions are destroying an entire generation, an entire society. It may sound too dramatic to call this systematic destruction genocide. The U.N. Security Council knows full well the dimensions of the tragedy unfolding in Iraq - even if the American people do not. The program is strictly monitored.