FROM This week's SchNEWS: http://www.schnews.org.uk/ AMERICAN WET DREAM
On Tuesday the UN Security Council unanimously voted to overhaul the economic sanctions against Iraq - a move so radical it was immediately condemned by the sanctions-busting group Voices in the Wilderness, four of whom are currently in Iraq distributing medical supplies. They called the resolution "a deadly fraud that will do little to alleviate the ongoing humanitarian crisis." Forget the cruel tyrant Saddam Hussein (once supported by the West when he towed their line), what about the ordinary people of Iraq? Who, thanks to these economic sanctions imposed on them by the West for nearly 12 years have seen 500,000 of their children die. Denis Halliday and Hans Von Sponeck, who were both at one time responsible for the UN's humanitarian programme in Iraq, both resigned in protest at what the sanctions were doing. Last year they wrote, "The death of 5-6,000 children a month is mostly due to contaminated water, lack of medicines and malnutrition." And it will be the ordinary Iraqi people who wil again be suffering if President Bush and his cronies use their so-called war on terrorism to start bombing a country, that has already been bombed back to the dark ages. The Pentagon's 'medium case scenario' is that a war on Iraq could condemn to death more than 10,000 civilians. But this could be even worse if, as journalist John Pilger puts it, the Americans "implement their current strategy of 'total war' and target Iraq's electricity and water." Not that we should forget that American and British aircraft have, in a largely forgotten war, been bombing Iraq week-in week-out, for more than four years. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US and Britain faced a "dilemma" because "few targets remain." "We're down to the last outhouse" bemoaned a Pentagon official. Still, the US insists that action is necessary because Iraq has been defying United Nations resolutions and represents an imminent threat to the world, and to the U.S. in particular. Excuse us, but defying UN resolutions and ignoring international treaties is what the Bush administration does best, with Bush making it clear that he will not honour any treaty if he reckons it might harm U.S. interests. In fact just last week Bush pulled out of the International Criminal Court - you know that radical idea to create the world's first permanent tribunal to prosecute people for war crimes, genocide, and other crimes against humanity (see SchNEWS 326). Bush and his militaristic government argue that they have to bomb Iraq because Saddam won't comply with United Nations weapons inspectors. So best forget that the Bush administration denied international inspectors access to U.S. chemical and biological weapons-related facilities because it might violate "commercial interests". Still the truth slipped out earlier this month when US Secretary of State Colin Powell said "regardless of what the inspectors do, the people of Iraq and the people of the region would be better off with a different regime in Baghdad." Not that SchNEWS could disagree with that - a lot of countries would be better off without dictators and corrupt governments - it's just the US wants another Saddam Hussein, but this time one who'll do what they say. Meanwhile Cuba is now being added to the US hit list, because hey the US right has always hated Cuba. In a speech entitled 'Beyond the Axis of Evil', Under Secretary of State John Bolton pointed the finger at Cuba because of the country's advanced biomedical industry. Forget that Cuba's advance biomedics has more do with their better-than-the-US Health Service and their policy of sending doctors to help third world countries (so hey, let's add them to the list). Plus Castro's visits last year to three "rogue states" accused by the US state department of sponsoring terrorism: Iraq, Syria and Libya. "States that renounce terror and abandon WMD [weapons of mass destruction] can become part of our effort," Mr Bolton said. "But those that do not can expect to become our targets." So it's back to that old "you are either with us or against us" mantra. Each new stage of the war against terrorism makes it clearer that the real aim has little to do with what happened on September 11th and more to do with what the American military describes as "full spectrum dominance". A document from the US Space Command spells it out "The United States will remain a global power and exert global leadership.Widespread communications will highlight disparities in resources and quality of life - contributing to unrest in developing countries.." So while everyone else must abandon those weapons of mass destruction the US this week got the green light from Russia this week to go ahead with its plan for the National Missile Defence Project or Star Wars II to keep us all in check (SchNEWS 307). Rotten Apple Pie When it comes to Israel of course then it's a different tune. Israel has been defying U.N. resolutions for more than 30 years. No action has been taken against their bloody and illegal rampage through Palestine. Hey, they were after terrorists. They face no sanctions for blocking a United Nations fact-finding mission into military action at the Jenin refugee camp. In fact their two fingers to the world earned them a serious reprimand in the US Senate who er. voted for an increase in military aid to Israel. Is this because the Palestinian civilians, just like the Iraqis and the five thousand Afghani civilians killed in the last holy war against terror, are what John Pilger calls the Unpeople. "The killing of Iraqi infants, like the killing of Chechens, like the killing of Afghan civilians, is rated less morally abhorrent than the killing of Americans." America's war on terrorism is just another word for imperialism - and Iraq is currently head of its wish list of countries where a new head of state needs to be put in place, one that will be a lot more open to Uncle Sam's way of doing things. * John Pilger's new book The New Rulers of the World will be published by Verso soon. Read more of his articles at www.johnpilger.com * The sanction busters will be giving a report on their visit next Friday (24) at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London (nearest tube Holborn) 7.30pm. Contact: Voices in the Wilderness 08454 560282 www.viwuk.freeserve.co.uk * Bypass the corporate media: www.znet.org www.alternet.org Taking the Peace Israeli Human rights organisation B'Tselem has just published a report showing that Israel has illegally taken over 42% of the West Bank since they first occupied the area in 1967. Although built-up Jewish settlements occupy only 1.7% of the land, various excuses, including seizure for 'military needs', for being 'abandoned assets' and even an obscure 19th century Law about 'state Land' - has been used to take over the rest. Although the land grabbing is a violation of international law and of the Palestinians' human rights it is upheld by the Israeli high court. The settlers are not only more privileged than the Palestinians, they are treated better than other Israelis. In 2000, settlement councils received 165% more land than councils in other territories. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Palestine March for Palestine this Saturday Assemble 12 noon Speakers' Corner (Marble Arch tube) Why not join the Anti Capitalist Bloc, not hard to spot, look for the only part of the march surrounded by Cops. More than 1000 activists from around the world have been in Israel on solidarity actions since the army began its latest series of attacks against Palestinians. There'll be another group of peace observers going from the UK this summer and there'll be training weekends in Manchester, London and possibly Scotland and Newcastle for people intending to go, or planning to be part of support teams organising actions in this country or doing press work. The weekends will include non-violent direct action training, information on the area and opportunities to talk with former volunteers. Marcia Tubbs, a British citizen recently in Palestine said "In the prison we were in, 3 Palestinian medical workers were also detained. You could hear people screaming as they were beaten. We can make such a difference by just being there as international observers, doing what the UN and governments are unwilling to do, protecting the basic human rights of the Palestinian people." More info: [EMAIL PROTECTED], or write to ISM, box 29, 22a Beswick Street, Manchester M4 7HR. www.palsolidarity.org * On Monday, about 15 activists did a solidarity action against the Israeli embassy in London. They were beaten back by Israeli military police using golf umbrellas! On the same day another group did an action against the Israeli Tourism Information office and the office of El-Al, the Israeli airline which has been deporting international activists. * "Dispatches: State of Terror" is being repeated on Channel 4, Sunday 19th 2.45am Dispatches reporter Deborah Davies was one of the first journalists to enter the Jenin refugee camp after the Israeli Army's brutal offensive. The programme looks at the real victims of this 'anti terrorist action.' * Yigal Rosenberg and Yair Hilu, who signed an open letter along with more than 120 other high school seniors and refused to do military service in the Occupied Territories, are back in prison. Each of them have been imprisoned four times, 21 other objectors are currently in prison. They are asking for people to write to them and show support. c/o The Forum in Support of Conscientious Objectors, POB 41199, Jaffa 61411, Israel. [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.indymedia.org.il/imc/israel/
