U.S. Sanctions: Is the Price Worth It?

When CBS's Leslie Stahl asked Secretary of State Madeline Albright if the price of over half a million Iraqi children who died as a consequence of US-led sanctions was "worth it," Ms. Albright responded, "It's a hard choice, but I think, we, think, it's worth it." (Emphasis added.)

When she uses "we" she is speaking for you, all of you, as a representative of the American people. Do you agree that over half a million Iraqi children should have died as a result of your government's policy? As of December 1995, the UN's Food & Agriculture Organization estimates 576,000 children have died largely as a result of preventable water-borne diseases and malnutrition; this number is sure to have risen in the three years since the data was collected. Additionally, UNICEF estimates that 1,500,000 more Iraqi children will die as a result of the US-led sanctions. In the eight years since the sanctions were imposed at the end of the Gulf War, international support for the sanctions has waned considerably while the US has escalated the war on Iraq with almost continual bombings.

The reason for the diminishing support for the international community is due to the nature of the sanctions themselves. According to the US government, they are meant to prevent Saddam's regime from reacquiring "weapons of mass destruction" and ultimately to remove Saddam Hussein from power. In fact, it is the US who is using weapons of mass destruction, the sanctions themselves. These sanctions prevent many items from entering Iraq and include many items. Some of these items are obvious: ammunition, spare parts for tanks, etc., but they also include very benign items, for example, medicine, chlorine (for water purification), toys, even ping pong balls.

We, the Oberlin Coalition Against the War on Iraq, are sponsoring several events in the next couple weeks. Next Thursday, March 18 in Wilder TBA, there will be a planning meeting for the events after break and to answer questions and give out information. During the first week after break there will be a showing of the documentary "Iraq in Darkness and Light by Voices in the Wilderness," and we will have a Town Hall meeting in Oberlin the following week.

We think that you should attend some or all of these events if for no other reason than to voice your opinion and learn what your government is doing in your name. That is what the students of the 1960s did, and what they found out moved them to action. They were revolted at what the US was doing in Vietnam and how the US and the majority of Americans were denying people their civil rights. In order to decide if you will attend ask yourself one question: Is Madeline Albright correct?

IS THE PRICE WORTH IT???

Essay submitted by college sophomore John Partridge and the Coalition Against the War on Iraq.