For the past 10 years, the United Nations with the heavy support of the United States has been violating and sometimes killing the of children of Iraq.

What? Come on, please! America is responsible for killing a bunch of kids?

The economic sanctions, which began on Aug. 6, 1990, have been the most comprehensive sanctions in the 50-year history of the United Nations. These sanctions are in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25 of the UDHR says, “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care.” Because of UN. sanctions, however, this is not the case for the citizens of Iraq. The sanctions also violate the Geneva Convention, that prohibits the “starvation of citizens as a method of warfare.” The sanctions have prevented access to clean water, electricity, and basic healthcare-all of which violate the Convention. The United States has supported sanctions for 10 years, despite the objections of other countries in the Security Council.

Okay, okay, so these sanctions are breaking all these rules-but for a good reason, right?

The United States refuses to lift the sanctions as long as Saddam Hussein is in power and often cites fears of Iraq having chemical or biological weapons as another reason for keeping the sanctions in place. However, Scott Ritter, a former UNSCOM weapons inspector who now opposes sanctions said “Iraq has been disarmed . . . The chemical, biological, nuclear and long-range ballistic missile programs that were a real threat in 1991 had, by 1998, been destroyed or rendered harmless” (Boston Globe, 3/9/00).The sanctions are a great propaganda tool for Saddam as well, since he can blame the United States for keeping the sanctions in place. These sanctions actually help keep him in power, since the anger of the people is not directed toward him. If they were lifted, Saddam would have no one to blame anymore.

I hear that the sanctions are really hurting people in Iraq. Is there any proof to those claims?

Various international groups including the UN’s own agencies (United Nations Children Fund, World Health Organization and others) have gone into Iraq and reported the dire situation. A 1997 UNICEF report stated that one million children under the age of five are suffering from severe malnutrition, and, if they survive, they will suffer from severe retardation and stunted growth. A 1999 UNICEF report, found that 250 Iraqis die everyday from sanctions, and 150 of these are toddlers and infants.

The report said 250 everyday? You mean it would take less than a month to kill the total undergraduate population at Saint Louis University?

The leading cause of death for children in Iraq is diarrhea and dysentery. If a child is lucky enough to receive medical treatment, they return to drinking the same dirty water that caused them to become sick in the first place, since chlorine is banned under sanctions.

Okay, okay, so it’s a pretty serious situation, but doesn’t the Oil-for-Food program help?

The Oil-for-Food program has helped prevent a famine, but it is not enough. Several UN agencies and independent experts have reported numerous problems with this program. The program only creates $252 per person per year, which is a mere 70 cents per person per day! The small amount of money produced through this program are not enough for Iraq to rebuild. The fear that Saddam is hoarding the money generated is also unfounded because all the money made through the program goes to an escrow account in the Bank of Paris controlled by the UN 661 Committee. The program has definitely not reduced the need to end sanctions, in fact, Hans Von Sponeck, the UN Oil-for-Food humanitarian coordinator said about the sanctions, “As a UN official, I should not be expected to be silent to that which I recognize as a human tragedy that needs to be ended.” Even the head of a program that is supposed to alleviate the suffering caused by sanctions agrees that economic sanctions need to end.

Okay, so this program doesn’t work either, but what do other people think about all of this?

The sanctions against Iraq have mobilized a variety of organizations and people to speak out. The Pope stated, “Sanctions on Iraq are pitiless. It made weak and innocent Iraqis pay for mistakes they are not responsible for.” David Bonoir, the U.S. House Minority Whip said on Feb. 16, 2000, that the economic sanctions against Iraq are “infanticide masquerading as policy.” Dennis Halliday, the Former Under Secretary General of the UN, resigned his post because the embargo was “collective torture.”

Sounds like a lot of important people are against these sanctions. But what can I do?

There will be a National Day of Silence for the children of Iraq this Saturday, Nov. 11. The rally begins at 11 a.m. in the Central West End, on the corner of Euclid and Maryland. From 11 to noon there will be a speaker, and from noon to 1 will be an hour of silent prayer and remembrance for the children who have been hurt by sanctions. For more information visit “http://www.dayofsilence.com” or contact Sarah Azad at “[email protected].”