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Politics : DON'T START THE WAR -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (8907)	2/16/2003 2:45:20 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Respond to of 25898

Government refuses to rule out use of cluster bombs... and other means of torturing Iraqi civilians for years to come... British forces being deployed to the Gulf are being equipped with another weapon implicated in long-term civilian casualties - anti-tank shells with tips made from depleted uranium REAL humanitarian...NOT guardian.co.uk Richard Norton-Taylor Friday February 14, 2003 The Guardian The government is refusing to disclose whether RAF aircraft will use cluster bombs in Iraq; the controversial weapons can kill and maim civilians long after a conflict is over. But it has freely admitted that British forces being deployed to the Gulf are being equipped with another weapon implicated in long-term civilian casualties - anti-tank shells with tips made from depleted uranium. In response to a question from the Liberal Democrat defence spokesman, Paul Keetch, the armed forces minister Adam Ingram said Whitehall's open government code allows officials to withhold information to protect British defence interests. International humanitarian groups, including the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and Landmine Action have said the use of cluster bombs could be illegal and certainly undermines the credibility of claims that "collateral damage" would be kept to a minimum. They say that cluster bombs are inherently indiscriminate and comparable with landmines, which are banned by the 1998 Ottawa treaty. They also say the use of cluster bombs could be in breach of a protocol to the 1977 Geneva conventions because civilian casualties for years to come could be excessive in relation to the direct military advantage anticipated. Landmine Action and other groups estimate that cluster bombs killed between 90 and 150 civilians in the Kosovo conflict, and unexploded bombs have since caused more than 200 casualties there. A leaked Ministry of Defence report estimated that 60% of the 531 cluster bombs dropped by the RAF during the Kosovo war missed their intended tar get or were unaccounted for. "It looks as though the reason for withholding the information is embarrassment rather than protecting defence interests", Maurice Frankel, director of the Freedom of Information Campaign said yesterday. Mr Ingram, meanwhile, has told the Labour MP Llew Smith that "depleted uranium munitions" will be available to troops. Mr Keetch has asked Mr Ingram to explain why the ministry is prepared to admit the potential use of DU shells, but not cluster bombs. Particles and dust from exploded DU weapons have been implicated in cancers. The government's approach is given in a recent letter from Mr Ingram to the Labour MP, Jeremy Corbyn. Iraq had produced "no credible research" to support claims attributing cancers and birth deformities to DU-based ammunition, Mr Ingram writes.

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (8907)	2/16/2003 2:46:58 PM
From: Karen Lawrence	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

"Republicans who don't support aid to poor countries and even aid to families within the US are acting like they care about Iraqi citizens" The biggest lie of the 21st century is that there's any humanitarian motivation on the part of Bush et al in their plans to invade Iraq. They have no compassion for people in this country, and they hate Iraqis.

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (8907)	2/16/2003 2:51:10 PM
From: ajax99	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

No Bush Jr. will send Americans to their death - to help Iraqi's but he will not send aid

To: Patricia Trinchero who wrote (8907)	2/16/2003 7:05:19 PM
From: PartyTime	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25898

>>> I find it humorous that Republicans who don't support aid to poor countries and even aid to families within the US are acting like they care about Iraqi citizens. They don't want their tax money to go toward helping AMericans, but they'll send it to Iraq because their leader is a badguy???????? !!!!!<<< Hey, how 'bout that one! I recall once debating someone on the Foreign Affairs Discussion Group about Cuba. I was told Cuba missed out on 50 years of development, due to Castro and the anti-American relations. I was astonished by the comment. What did Cuba not get that South American and Latin American countries that was so lucarative from relations with America. Check out the statistical realities where Cuba, more than not, ranks above most South and Latin American countries. geographyiq.com