From: Richard Ridge (richard_ridge@tao-group.com)
Date: Tue Feb 05 2002 - 09:13:57 MST
> The sanctions imposed on Iraq allow for less than $100 per person per
> year, and thats(sic) if the money is devided(sic) equally, as we know it's
not,
> with the lion(sic) share going to build Sadams(sic) castles, so the actual
figure is
> probably far less than half that.
Of course, the problem with that argument is that it holds the US
responsible for the fact that Saddam is not distributing those funds
equally - and suggests that if sanctions were withdrawn then the presence of
a dictatorial regime would be of no consequence. Which is the entire problem
with this debate; namely, that it is essentially circular. One side
correctly observes that the sanctions have not proved themselves to be
effective and correctly notes that they have caused enormous misery for the
population of Iraq. The other side correctly replies that this argument
essentially absolves Saddam Hussein from any responsibility (and thereby
comfortably justifies dictatorship and oppression) since he has been using
said funds to renew his arsenal and could well have developed far greater
capabilities had the sanctions been lifted. Whether or not current revenue
is adequate for Iraq (probably not) this does not make the United States
responsible for the policy of the Iraqi regime on construction and military
expenditure.
Given that (as far as I can tell) there seems little prospect of the
sanctions impinging sufficiently on the Iraqi regime to lead to its downfall
before years more misery lie in store for the population, it would seem to
me that there are only two options. 1). Lift the sanctions. The US has done
deals with morally repugnant regimes before; I have little doubt that they
are perfectly capable of doing so again. Or 2) depose the Iraqi regime by a
military invasion and then create a structural repair programme to ensure
that the population have access to purified water. Option 3), carry on
prevaricating for another decade by virtue of being insufficiently decisive
to choose either of the previous two options (and thereby perpetuating this
debate), seems somewhat less than acceptable.
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