-- Marx points out in the 18t. Brumaire that the first time round history
is a tragedy and the second time its a farce. I knew it was a farce when
Bush the second became King of America But I did not expect that the
pig
King and his cohorts wld. start their murderous onslaughts so soon.
In this bad bad bad world of violence murder and hate.
______________________________________________________________
Mona thought perhaps it was time to killherself but did not.
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From: Ali Abunimah <ahabunim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Ali Abunimah <ahabunim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: World condemns latest U.S. aggression
Date: Sat, 17 Feb 2001 09:26:43 -0600 (CST)
UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN ISOLATED AFTER ATTACK ON IRAQ
Ali Abunimah
February 17, 2001
The United States and United Kingdom stood almost isolated as they were
roundly condemned by the international community for their unprovoked
attack on Baghdad on Friday which killed two Iraqi civilians and injured
twenty others. The British and American governments said the attacks were
"self-defense."
Loud criticism of the attack came from governments and media all over the
world, and thousands of Palestinians marched in Tulkarm and Hebron in the
occupied West Bank to oppose the attack on Iraq, even as at least two more
Palestinians were shot dead for protesting continuing Israeli occupation.
Leading the criticism was Russia which said the attack violated
international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions. Russian Deputy
Presidential Chief of Staff Sergei Prikhodko said Russia always "strongly
opposes any U.S. military actions, whomever they are against, if these
actions bypass the U.N. Security Council resolutions."
A spokesperson for the French foreign ministry said that France was
neither informed or consulted about the attack, which France believes
"raised questions." In 1998 France withdraw from enforcing the
unilaterally imposed "no fly" zones and has since been highly critical of
Anglo-American policy and attacks on Iraq.
Belarus, a close ally of Moscow said in a statement from its foreign
ministry that "Such actions should be regarded as an open violation of
international law which undermines the U. N. system of maintaining
international peace and security. Such actions can only aggravate the
situation on the regional and global scales."
China, whose embassy in Belgrade was bombed and destroyed in a U.S. attack
in 1999 also strongly criticised the Anglo-American action. Foreign
ministry spokesman Zhu Bangzao said "We condemn the air attacks launched
by the United States and Britain against Iraq, and express deep regret
over the deaths and injuries of innocent civilians resulting from the
action."
Iraq's neighbor Iran denounced the attack in a commentary on Tehran Radio,
saying "The violent attacks of the American air force are signs of the
adventurism of the new administration of George W. Bush," and "This
surprise attack adds to the growing violence in the Middle East," in
reference to the continued violence by Israeli occupation forces against
the Palestinian people.
Turkey, a member of NATO, whose military-dominated government allows the
United States to launch planes against Iraq from the Incirlik airbase also
condemned the Anglo-American attack. Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit said "We
followed the military operation with concern. It is regrettable that a
need was felt for such an operation and that civilians were affected."
Ecevit also expressed regret that the United States had not consulted
Turkey over the action.
Atal Behari Vajpayee, the prime minister of India called the attack on
Iraq "unacceptable" saying that "India has consistently opposed the
unilateral imposition of the no-fly zones on Iraq" because "They do not
come within the framework of United Nations Security Council resolutions."
Vajpayee added that "Such strikes cause unnecessary and avoidable
suffering upon the innocent men, women and childen of Iraq."
While popular and media reaction in the Arab world was sharply against the
newest American aggression, and many commentators noted that once again
Arabs are being killed and injured at the hands of both Israel and the
United States simultaneously, reaction from governments was more muted. In
Jordan the main dailies which usually reflect government thinking strongly
condemned the attacks as "cowardly" and featured prominent photos of
civilian victims.
While Arab League Secretary General Esmat Abd El Meguid said the attack on
Iraq had "had no justification," Generally, however, Arab governments,
particularly those in the Gulf maintained silence. Iraq accuses Kuwait and
Saudi Arabia which allow themselves to be used as bases for American
attacks on Iraq of being accomplices.
The United States found some support from Poland. A spokesman for prime
minister Jerzy Buzek said the attacks were "understandable." Poland joined
NATO, the U.S.-led military alliance in 1999. Canada's prime minister,
Jean Chretien, betraying a disturbing ignorance about Iraq said that his
country was not informed about the attack in advance but that "This is the
protection of the freezone ... there is an agreement there and when it's
not respected the enforcement of the agreement is done by the Brits and
the Americans and they do it on their own without consultation with us."
There is in fact no "agreement" regarding any "no fly zones." These zones
were unilaterally created and imposed by the United States and are not
mentioned in any U.N. resolutions or the ceasefire agreements Iraq signed
ending the Gulf War ten years ago.
In the United States leading newspapers such as The New York Times
welcomed the American attack and most electronic media broadcast Pentagon
justifications without criticism, comment or dissenting analysis.
American media downplayed or omitted mention of Iraqi civilians killed and
injured by frequent U.S. bombardment, including the latest attack. While
international reaction to the U.S.-led action was loud and clear, the
question remains as to whether the United States is able to hear it.
Ali Abunimah
ali@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.abunimah.org
