Protests continue as
U.S. keeps bombing Iraq quietly
By Sarah
Sloan
The United States has admitted to dropping concrete bombs on
Iraq. From 30,000 feet above the ground, warplanes are dropping
2,000 to 3,000-pound pieces of concrete on this oil-rich Middle
East country.
The concrete bombs are part of the 1,400 bombs and missiles
the U.S. and Britain have dropped on Iraq since last December's
so-called Operation Desert Fox. There have been 12,157 combat
sorties over Iraq since December. They amount to two-thirds the
sorties flown over Yugoslavia during the 78 days of all-out air
war.
Meanwhile, the imperialists--and some in the progressive
movement--call for the disarmament of Iraq. They want to disarm
the country under attack, not the attacker.
While the bombs are dropping and 250 people a day die from
the U.S.-led UN sanctions on Iraq, U.S. officials continue to
meet with and fund Iraqi opposition groups in an open attempt
to overthrow the government there and replace it with a puppet
regime that will do the bidding of the imperialists.
The U.S. pushed "oil for food" as a way to keep sanctions
going after a number of UN agencies reported a grave health and
malnutrition situation in Iraq and the movement against
sanctions began to attract broad support. But allowing Iraq to
sell limited amounts of oil in exchange for limited goods has
not created an appreciable difference. Only a complete lifting
of the sanctions will solve the health and nutrition
crisis.
On the same day the U.S. admitted using concrete bombs,
Mohammed Mehdi Saleh, Iraq's trade minister, reported that the
U.S. is holding up $750 million worth of contracts for the
purchase of goods under the "oil for food" deal.
Saleh said that the contracts being delayed--common practice
by the UN committee that must approve every purchase Iraq
applies for--were related to water and sewage treatment plants.
These plants, as well as pipelines and other related equipment,
were bombed heavily and systematically during the 1991 Gulf
War. Many are still broken from the bombing damage. Others have
become debilitated over the past nine years and can't be
repaired without spare parts that are prohibited under the
sanctions.
Furthermore, Iraq is not allowed to import sufficient
chlorine to treat the water. Now, 80 percent of the crippling
diseases and malnutrition--that have killed over one million
people--originate in the water.
Demonstrations around the world
The International Action Center, an anti-war organization
that has led opposition to the bombing and the nine years of
sanctions, called for an International Week of Iraq Action at
the end of September. This was a time for the many
organizations and coalitions that do work around Iraq to again
raise the issue and expose the continuing war.
In Toronto, a newly formed coalition of 40
organizations brought 400 people to rally in Queens Park and
then march to the U.S. Embassy. The organizers, including
students from York University, reached out to many students,
young people and community organizations. Participants at the
rally included 40 high school students.
In Minneapolis and St. Paul , the Progressive
Student Organization and the Anti-War Committee from the
University of Minnesota, and the Iraq Peace Action Coalition,
which includes over 10 organizations, held up anti-war banners
and rallied over several days. One of the days included an
action to coincide with a speech by NBC news anchor Tom
Brokaw.
In many cities across the country, including places as
diverse as Tampa, Fla.; Dover, N.H.; and
Corvallis, Ore., weekly vigils continued. In
Charlottesville, Va., activists held vigils each day of
Iraq Action Week.
The San Diegans to Stop the Violence Against Iraq, the
San Diego International Action Center, and the
Washington, D.C., International Action Center held
public meetings and video showings.
Demonstrations were held in Ann Arbor , Mich.;
Houston, Texas; Providence, R.I.;
Milwaukee, San Francisco , Los Angeles and
New York .
In San Francisco, speakers represented the U.S./Cuba
Friendship Committee, Comite Puerto Rico 98, the Plowshares,
the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Workers World
Party and the International Action Center.
In Los Angeles, the demonstration was organized by the Save
Iraqi Children Coalition and the International Action
Center.
In New York, demonstrators targeted the New York Times for
its biased media coverage on the continued U.S. war.
In New Zealand , a group held information displays on
each day of the week, as well as screenings of "The Children
are Dying," a video produced by the International Action
Center.
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