The Iraq war started in 1991 and never stopped. During the sanctions, there were bombings every three days, and since the sanctions prevented common items like chemicals used to treat and disinfect water, medicine, and medical equipment from being imported, 1 million people died, 500,000 of them children.
“The change in 10 years is unparalleled, in my experience,” Anupama Rao Singh, Unicef’s senior representative in Iraq, told me. “In 1989, the literacy rate was 95%; and 93% of the population had free access to modern health facilities. Parents were fined for failing to send their children to school. The phenomenon of street children or children begging was unheard of. Iraq had reached a stage where the basic indicators we use to measure the overall well-being of human beings, including children, were some of the best in the world. Now it is among the bottom 20%. In 10 years, child mortality has gone from one of the lowest in the world, to the highest.”
The war against Iraq was the longest running war in American history, the government just stopped calling it a war because it was bad for public relations.
Lesley Stahl on U.S. sanctions against Iraq: We have heard that a half million children have died. I mean, that’s more children than died in Hiroshima. And, you know, is the price worth it?
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: I think this is a very hard choice, but the price—we think the price is worth it.
—60 Minutes (5/12/96)you really have to watch the video to get the full effect
(Source: reasonstorevolt)
Story behind this? Her dad was leaving on a 2 year deployment. She was crying, and wouldn’t let go of her dad’s hand, even when he stood in line, saluting. No one had the heart to break them apart.
i’ve reblogged this like 470348 times, i can’t not reblog it everytime
“No one one had the heart to break them apart”
Translation:No one could possibly have unless time and space dictated otherwise.
(Source: beautifulwhatsyourhurry)
Thanks Obama. My vote for you surely wasn’t in vain.
(Source: ikenbot)
