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Physicians for Social Responsibility
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Physicians for Social Responsibility: End
War Now, Stop Humanitarian Catastrophe
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| SACRAMENTO,
CA - March 20 - Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), a
national organization of health care professionals and concerned
citizens, strongly opposes the United States preemptive war on
Iraq.
"President
Bush has not provided sufficient justification for this war, "
said Sacramento PSR member and Vietnam Veteran William Durston,
MD. "As doctors, we have devoted our life's work to promoting
human health. We live by the creed 'First, do no harm,' and we
believe simply that a war on Iraq will do more harm than good.
There are better prescriptions for American security than to
invade Iraq now" states Dr. Durston.
PSR members
are concerned about the health and welfare of U.S. troops in the
Middle East. Over 160,000 Gulf War veterans currently receive
disability payments, many of whom report chronic illness for unclear
reasons. If Saddam Hussein does have biological and chemical
weapons, attacking Iraq invites him to use these agents on U.S.
soldiers.
"And what about
the civilians of Iraq, half of whom are children?" asks member
Harry Wang, MD. "It is expected that there will be tens of thousands
of Iraqi combatant and civilian deaths. 16 million Iraqi civilians
are 100% dependent on food rations. The oil-for-food program
has already stopped. We can expect food shortages, malnutrition,
and starvation of civilians," says Dr. Wang.
PSR has a 40-year
tradition of speaking out against the dangers of nuclear war.
In 1985, it shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the International
Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. PSR has demanded
that President Bush publicly commit to a "no first use" policy
on nuclear weapons.
Sacramento
Area PSR members have actively participated in recent local and
Bay area anti-war protests and plan to join the Regional Peace
March in Sacramento on March 23. "We must stop this war now,"
says member Nathan Fairman, "and end the humanitarian catastrophe
in Iraq."
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