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| NOVEMBER 15, 1998 6:09 PM FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: International Action Center Sara Flounders or Sarah Sloan (212) 633-6646 iacenter@iacenter.org |
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| U.S.-Iraq Crisis: Until Sanctions Are Lifted, The Crisis Will Continue | ||||
| NEW YORK - November 15 - "The
intention expressed by President Clinton in his November 15 speech to intensify efforts to
overthrow the Iraqi government are both ominous and revealing. The Clinton Administration
and the media frame the issue that as long as Saddam Hussein remains, the crisis’s
will continue. In truth, unless sanctions are lifted, the crisis’s will continue
because sanctions are genocide and are perpetrated against an entire people. The U.S.
cannot expect to cause the killing of 8,000 children a month and have this not be a source
of crisis and instability in the region," said Sara Flounders, co-coordinator of the
International Action Center. "The sanctions are really part of an overall destabilization strategy. This same strategy has been used by the Pentagon and CIA many times in the past: from 1950 to 1953 against the elected government of Mossadegh in Iran, leading to its overthrow and the bloody reign of the Shah; in 1954 against the democratically elected government of Arbenz in Guatemala, leading to a U.S.-engineered military coup and the subsequent slaughter of over 100,000 Indian people; from 1970 to 1973 against a democratically elected government of Salvador Allende in Chile which ended in the coming to power of the dictatorship of General Pinochet and the murder of 30,000 Chileans. The U.S. policy of economic destabilization and overthrow in Iraq will not lead to a democratic government, but rather to a dictatorship compliant to U.S. bidding, as has been shown time and again. "Hundreds of protests were in place within days of U.S. threats to bomb. The International Action Center is continuing with its plans for a Nationally and Internationally coordinated day of protest on Tuesday, November 17. On this day, protests around the country and around the world will demand an immediate end to genocidal sanctions and the withdraw of the massive U.S. military forces that are now occupying the Gulf region. (For a listing of demonstrations, refer to our web page.) As long as these forces remain in the region there is an ever-present danger of new bombing attacks. At its worst, the Iraqi decision to expel foreign inspectors -- after 8 long years and 9,000 inspections -- is an act of sovereignty. In no way can it be construed as an act of aggression against another country. The U.S. is claiming that Iraq is isolated, but, in fact, the only thing that deterred an attack is that the U.S. became isolated in its policy. The U.S. is more isolated in growing world opposition to both a military strike and the continuing of the deadly sanctions "People will continue to be in the streets because genuine peace and justice in the Gulf region requires the withdraw of the massive U.S. military forces now deployed in the region, an end to destabilization, and an end to the genocidal sanctions. The issue of sanctions which the U.S. has kept silent for eight years is now a crime that millions of people all over the world oppose," continued Flounders. The New York City demonstration will be on Tuesday, November 17 at 5 PM at Grand Central Station (42nd St. and Park Ave.). ### |
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