re: here's a brave military boy like bultana Well off you go...

re: here's a brave military boy like bultana Well off you go then old son, give my regards to Saddam.
I''ll sure hell give you a fair hearing and a look around ..before he has your eyes gouged out.

Nice CV.:

two bloody wars leading to the deaths of Iraqi civilians and inhabitants of neighbouring countries;
elimination of one million people (5% of the population) since Saddam Hussein took power (this figure does not includes victims of wars with neighbouring countries). Not even the Sunni minority and his own family were spared;
disappearance of 8,000 men in Kurdistan (Barzan region) and 10,000 Feyli Kurds;
destruction of 4,500 Kurdish towns and villages;
deportation of more than one million Kurds in southern Iraq and a quarter of a million Feyli Kurds to Iran;
continuation of the policy of ethnic cleansing in Kurdish regions under Baghdad's control, such as Kirkuk, Sinjar, Khanaqin, Mandeli, Makhmour, Tuz and Mossul;
destruction of more than 150 Assyro-Chaldean villages, along with their ancient monasteries and churches, and repression targeting the Turkoman minority;
disappearance of more than 180,000 people during Anfal campaigns. UN Special Rapporteur Max Van der Stoel said that these campaigns were a form of genocide;
massive deployment of chemical weapons (gas) against the Kurdish population in Halabja;
deployment of more than 10 million anti-personnel mines in the Kurdish region (nearly 15,000 individuals have been killed or wounded since the end of the Gulf War);
inhumane and degrading treatment (decrees legalising the amputation of various parts of the body);
systematic torture, including the rape of women;
beheading of women (at least 130 women were executed between June 2000 and April 2001 for alleged prostitution);
destruction and systematic drainage of the marshlands of southern Iraq;
summary executions (2000 prisoners in March 1998 in just one day in the Abu Greb prison as part of the 'prison cleansing' operation).
In humanitarian terms, despite various UN resolutions the Iraqi regime has used sanctions as weapons of repression and propaganda by taking its own people hostage.

Despite a steadily rising income under the 'food for oil' resolution, plus additional exports to neighbouring countries providing a heaven-sent source of non-UN-controlled income, the people of Iraq still have trouble surviving.

The distribution system deprives the families of government opponents and all those who do not pledge their allegiance to the regime of the essential minimum for survival. Nearly 50% of income from the 'food for oil' resolution is not spent on the population but on the regime's leadership. The use of protein- and vitamin-enriched flours is prevented by the government, aggravating malnutrition and leading to serious medical consequences.

As staggering as that may seem, exports of foods and medicines to other countries continue.

WHO has pointed out that the government is very slow to state which medicines are needed. In a letter sent on 14 February 2001 to the Iraqi authorities, the UN Secretary-General urged Baghdad to feed its people better and asked for clarification on the extremely limited resources the authorities devote to health care and child nutrition.

Today, there are increasing calls for the sanctions to be lifted. There is no doubt whatsoever that the people of Iraq are suffering, but the key role played by the Iraqi authorities - who are in large part resp onsible for this suffering - must be clearly identified.

A simple comparison with northern Iraq shows that in the autonomous region governed by the Kurds, infant mortality is on the decrease, even when compared to figures from before the second Gulf War. Moreover, the incidence of malnutrition is much lower than in the rest of Iraq.

The Kurds have rebuilt their towns and villages that were destroyed in the wars waged by the Iraqi government. They enjoy relative stability, not because the portion allocated to them under the 'food for oil' resolution is too big, as the Iraqi government maintains (this region has 805,000 internally displaced persons), but because the United Nations and non-governmental organisations go about their business unhindered in collaboration with the Kurdish authorities.

Advances unprecedented in Iraq's history are being made in this region with the development of a civil society, media diversity and rights for ethnic and religious minorities. These advances must be supported by Europe. Indeed, Europe must pledge to guarantee the security of the Kurd population who are constantly under threat from the Iraqi government.

What future can we imagine for the 3.5 million people living in northern Iraq if, in the debate on the situation in Iraq, no long-term protection is found for them and if the 13% of oil income that the Kurdish administration can use to feed its population is eliminated?

With its track record of violating human rights and international humanitarian law, Saddam Hussein's regime and - if nothing is set up to protect the Kurds - the autonomous Kurdish region as well as the Kurdish people will be severely 'punished' and all aid they need to survive taken away. Fear of the regime and its violations can only encourage the people to flee to Europe and other parts of the world.

Studies carried out into the long-term impact of chemical weapons in Kurdistan show that survivors suffer multiple pathologies which appear years later. For instance, people affected by gas attacks and who initially seemed unharmed have subsequently developed respiratory, muscular and neurological diseases. The chemical and bacteriological products used have modified the DNA of contaminated individuals, which in turn will have a devastating impact on future generations in Kurdistan.

None of these victims has received any compensation. No programme has been set up to help these people receive the care they need.

The debate on Iraq must aim to come up with solutions to the serious problems facing all peoples living in Iraq.

I wish i was a real humanitarian like you guys. ....what a great value system!