We d still like to believe that if US people understood the plight Iraqi people face, these sanctions wouldn t withstand the light of day. Consider the case of Jon Benet-Ramsey. People across this country are indignant and profoundly concerned about what happened to her, as well they should be. She was abused, mutilated, and murdered. The case surrounding this tragedy is well-known because media editors decided to regularly and sometimes daily report to people about the case.
Iraqi people face a daily emergency.
Iraq had declared its rejection of the resolution long before the Security Council even began debate. If Iraq is going to renounce its intent to manufacture weapons of mass destruction, then the US should be asked to retract its maxim that sanctions will remain until Hussein is gone. And by the way despite their amazing altruism towards Iraq, the US couldn t convince permanent UN Security Council members France, Russia and China to go along with their sincere kindness and sympathy. All the while the Iraqi people continue to wait it out, forced to watch a once healthy and educated society slowly disintegrate, burdened by daily death and despair. Hans Von Sponeck, the U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, in our most recent meeting with him, put it very eloquently, The US is trying to cage a wild tiger, but it is killing a rare and beautiful bird.