An international group of 85 scientists, psychiatrists, public health experts, and the like found that the surviving Iraqi children suffer from extraordinary high levels of depression, sadness, worry, and survivor's guilt. In unleashing its deadly rain of terror upon Iraqi people, Operation Desert Storm constituted a clear violation of international laws and treaties. Iraqi people and their infrastructure were not the orily casualties of the Persian Gulf War. The environment also suffered severe, perhaps irreparable, harm. In addition to the obvious effects of air and water pollution, the desert ecology was seriously damaged.
Entire species are in danger of extinction.
In some areas, soil has been rendered unfit for agriculture. Many peace activists, scholars, and diplomats have touted economic sanctions as a humane alternative to bombing. But just as the military response wreaked havoc on the land and its people, economic sanctions have produced enormous suffering. And like bombing campaigns, the targets of the economic sanctions are not the ones actually victimized. The only outcomes economic sanctions have produced to date are increases in disease and mortality rates.