War crimes in Iraq
Albright finds it wasn't worth it
By Sue Davis
Seneca Falls, N.Y.
Chants of "Madeleine Albright,
you can't hide, we charge you with genocide" disrupted the
festivities here July 11 as the U.S. secretary of state was
being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.
Many women were in the Seneca Falls area over the weekend,
celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first women's rights
convention. Lydia Bayoneta of the International Action Center,
who coordinated the protest, made it clear that her group was
in solidarity with those fighting for women's rights but not
with the government sponsors behind the Albright award.
While the audience had paid $35 a ticket to honor Albright
and 20 other inductees, the 50 protesters, organized by the
Rochester office of the IAC, were there to expose and denounce
Albright as a war criminal.
"U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is one of the
architects of U.S. foreign policy against Iraq," Bayoneta
explained. She reminded the demonstrators that in an interview
with Leslie Stahl of CBS on May 11, 1996, Albright was asked
whether the over half a million children killed by the
sanctions were worth it. Her response was: "It's a hard choice,
but I think it's worth it."
Continued Bayoneta, "The U.S./UN economic sanctions which
have been imposed on Iraq are now in their eighth year. They
have brought about a catastrophic economic situation in that
country, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 1.5 million
children, women and men."
Just as protesters hounded U.S. government officials during
the war against Vietnam, demonstrators have targeted Albright
in many parts of the country. The Seneca Falls protest was
organized on short notice after the IAC learned of her
appearance. It drew demonstrators from a number of
organizations, including Pax Christi and Voices in the
Wilderness, in several upstate New York cities and towns.
Starting at nine in the morning, chants such as "Madeleine
Albright, you speak lies, Iraqi women and children die" greeted
those waiting to go into the hall. Leaflets were handed out
explaining the issues. Two women who had been to Iraq and seen
the devastation caused by the sanctions-Sharon Eolis and
Deirdre Sinnott-addressed the crowd with eyewitness
accounts.
While aware of the unusually high security at the event, the
demonstrators were determined to confront Albright. After the
audience entered the hall, the protesters moved to block the
driveway where they presumed the secretary of state would
enter. The police demanded they leave the area, so they
regrouped across the street.
When Albright's convoy finally arrived around noon, the
demonstrators surged within 50 yards of her entourage. Bayoneta
noted that Albright, dressed in a yellow suit, turned back to
view the protest as cries of "murderer" chased her into the
hall. Two women later protested inside the hall during the
ceremony, and one was arrested.
The demonstrators vowed to continue the fight against the
sanctions until the U.S. government "changes its genocidal
policy of mass destruction."
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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