John Pilger’s documentary, broadcast on British channel ITV in 2000, explores just how old the “Saddam had WMDs” fallacy was, and how destructive. And also how hypocritical was all the tut-tutting on the part of the US and Great Britain. Both countries were responsible for the ascension of Saddam as well as for the WMD stockpiles he did possess–the same ones which were destroyed later on under the UN’s eyes.
Judging by the sudden jumps in cancer rates and birth defects, related by the doctors you see here, it’s a no-brainer that Iraq was nuked with the ultimate dirty bomb–the “depleted” uranium shell. Yet another layer of Anglo-American hypocrisy reveals itself. Just who were these people to try to starve out Iraq in the name of eliminating a dictator they created and armed? And what right had they to use WMD on Iraq–in the name of eliminating Saddam and his WMD, which they themselves supplied?
Bear in mind that this is the country PNAC urged Bill Clinton to bomb in 1998, feeling that what was going on, though devastating to ordinary Iraqis, was just not devastating enough. Clinton declined to bomb–but over half a million sanctions-related child deaths were, apparently, quite acceptable to Madeleine Albright’s State Department. Meanwhile, Saddam Hussein and his cronies were demonstrably NOT affected in the slightest by the sanctions. Gee, maybe PNAC was right about bombing and full-scale war (i.e. more death, more destruction, and even less humanitarian aid getting through) being needed to dislodge him.
Oh wait, there was bombing, too. It was still not enough to appease PNAC. Maybe because the targets were a few shepherds, their children…and sheep.
And don’t forget, this all happened BEFORE Gulf War II and the current occupation.
