Can 'Iraq: Where Things Stand' Serve As A Blue Print For War Crimes?
A 38-page ABC News report on Iraq titled Iraq: Where Things Stand "paints a devastating portrait of life in Iraq: Widespread violence, torn lives, displaced families, emotional damage, collapsing services, an ever-starker sectarian chasm – and a draining away of the underlying optimism that once prevailed."
The poll, "the third poll in Iraq sponsored by ABC News and media partners – in this case USA Today, the BBC and ARD German TV," concluded that, "Violence is the cause, its reach vast. Eighty percent of Iraqis report attacks nearby – car bombs, snipers, kidnappings, armed forces fighting each other or abusing civilians. It’s worst by far in the capital, Baghdad, but by no means confined there," the report notes.
" The personal toll is enormous. More than half of Iraqis, 53 percent, have a close friend or relative who’s been hurt or killed in the current violence," the report says, adding: "One in six says someone in their own household has been harmed. Eighty-six percent worry about a loved one being hurt; two-thirds worry deeply. Huge numbers limit their daily activities to minimize risk.
Seven in 10 report multiple signs of traumatic stress."
The report also notes that, "In November 2005, 63 percent of Iraqis felt very safe in their neighborhoods. Today just 26 percent say the same. One in three doesn’t feel safe at all. In Baghdad, home to a fifth of the country’s population, that skyrockets: Eighty-four percent feel entirely unsafe.
The report adds:"IMPACT – The impact is overwhelming: As violence has grown, measures of basic wellbeing have plummeted. In 2005, despite the difficulties in their country, 71 percent of Iraqis said their own lives were going well. Today that’s been all but halved, to 39 percent. In 2005, two-thirds expected their lives to improve over the coming year. Now just 35 percent see better days ahead."
"Again, the sharpest deterioration is in Baghdad, where the number of Iraqis who say their own lives are going well has dropped by 51 points. But it’s also down by 26 points in the rest of Iraq. And even outside of Baghdad, just 32 percent of Iraqis feel “very safe” where they live, compared with 60 percent a year and a half ago."
"In an equally dramatic reversal, majorities now give negative ratings to each of more than a dozen essential aspects of daily life – jobs, schools, power and fuel supply, medical care and many more. In late 2005, for instance, 54 percent said their power supply was inadequate or nonexistent; now that’s swelled to 88 percent. And in 2005 just 30 percent
rated their economic situation negatively. Today that’s more than doubled, to 64 percent."
"As conditions have sharply worsened, so have expectations for improvement – an especially troubling result, since hopes for a better future can be the glue that holds a struggling society together. In 2004 and 2005 alike, for example, three-quarters of Iraqis expected improvements in the coming year in their security, schools, availability of jobs,
medical care, crime protection, clean water and power supply. The poll said, "Today only about 30 to 45 percent still expect any of these to get any better."
MY CONCLUSION: If Iran or Syria had invaded Iraq and created conditions that resulted in the scenario described in the report the United States and Britain would be asking the United Nations Security Counsel to recommend war crimes charges.
But since British Prime Minister Tony Blair and U.S. President George W. Bush are the perpetrators, they will only judged by history. No country will dare put them on trial. The consequences would be too great.
1 comment:
Thanks for the comment.
Post a Comment