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Minute on Iraq Sanctions
Bennington
Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends
Meeting for Business held 15 October 2000
Minute 2000-105
Being deeply
troubled by the continued sanctions which are bringing death,
suffering, and hopelessness to innocent Iraqi people, the Bennington
Friends Meeting endorses the lifting of these economic sanctions.
These sanctions
have not been effective in forcing Saddam Hussein to comply
with UN Security Council resolutions. What these sanctions have
done is to create vast areas within the country where there
is no drinkable water, where children are dying of malnutrition
and of the most curable diseases. According to UNICEF, more
than half a million children under the age of five have died
as a result of these sanctions. The Center for Economic and
Social Rights reported in 1996 that, "in simple terms, more
Iraqi children have died as a result of sanction than the combined
toll of two atomic bombs on Japan and the recent scourge of
ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia."
Prior to
1990, Iraq had socio-economic conditions comparable to first
world countries, including free health care and education for
all citizens. Thanks to the sanctions, a whole generation of
people are growing up without access to basic needs and services,
such as clean water, health care, education, and adequate food.
As a result of the war, bridges, roads and canals were destroyed
by the bombing. Sanctions severely limit the availability of
materials to rebuild these basic structures.
Sanctions
may have actually strengthened Saddam Hussein's control of power
since the middle class, who might have generated effective political
opposition, have been virtually wiped out as a result of these
very sanctions.
These troubling
circumstances lead us to call for a lifting of the sanctions
on Iraq. An embargo on weapons technology and military material
should be strengthened while reaching out to the humanitarian
needs of the people. Congress should pass HR 3825, the Humanitarian
Exports Leading to Peace Act (H.E.L.P.). This law would allow
the U.S. to export food and medicine to the people of Iraq.
OTHER
QUAKER STATEMENTS & LETTERS
Reviewed:
09/06/2005
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