Shapiro is a first-year undeclared student.
By Benjamin Shapiro
The sanctions against Iraq have three different purposes:
punitive, political and preventive.
First, the sanctions exist for punitive purposes. When a
dictator, like Saddam Hussein, believes that only a few specific
countries have the right to exist, and that the rest should be
considered evil and destroyed, he and his country must be
punished.
Secondly, the political purpose of the sanctions is to oust
Hussein from power. The logic is that if the lay-people are
underfed, underpaid and underprivileged, they will revolt. The
economy of Iraq has been severely damaged. Denis Halliday, the
former United Nations humanitarian envoy for Iraq, predicted it
will take 10 to 20 years for the economy of Iraq to recover.
Iraq’s economy is at a virtual standstill.
Third, the preventive purpose is to diminish Iraq’s
ability to wage war. With Hussein, a dictator who may have access
to nuclear arms and is intent on destroying the
“infidels” through “jihad” (holy war),
sanctions have been instituted as a preventive measure.
The first step toward ousting Saddam must be the economic
debilitation of his government’s political apparatus, thus
rendering it incapable of acquiring arms. Unfortunately, the damage
to the Iraqi economy has not affected those in power; it has not
prevented Iraq from stockpiling weapons and once again preparing
for jihad.
 Illustration by JARRETT QUON/Daily Bruin The sanctions
have failed to fully achieve their goals because the implementation
of these goals has been far too weak. The United Nations wishes to
be seen as humanitarian, and so is ambivalent about sanctions when
Iraqi children die of malnutrition and poverty. They also know that
if steps are not taken to combat Hussein, he has the capability to
kill hundreds of millions.
Consequently, the U.N. must choose between fighting Hussein and
risking the death of civilian Iraqis, or helping the civilians and
risking a worldwide jihad. For the U.N., the choice is clear
““ the sanctions must stay.
Why isn’t this choice clear to the world? Misconceptions.
The major misconception is that sanctions are the primary reason
for the malnutrition and death of the Iraqi children. In reality,
it is the Iraqi government that has mismanaged their resources,
using them on excesses and for the development of nuclear
capabilities.
If Hussein destroyed his chemical weapons and abandoned his
dreams of world domination, sanctions would end. Instead, he has
chosen to continue his reign of terror, even at the cost of his
country’s youth. And his country has done nothing to stop
him. Rather than ousting him from power, they have become willing
to do anything for the man they call “al-Sayd” (the
lord), “al-Qaid” (the leader), “al- Rukn”
(the Cornerstone) and “al-Muheeb” (the
fearful).”
The Iraqi oil revenues have not been shut off ““ the world
needs their oil. The U.N. has allowed Oil-for-Food programs to be
used continuously throughout the implementation of the sanctions.
So where have all the profits gone? Why the monumental health
problems?
First there is mismanagement. Iraq has still not used the full
$200 million allocated to it, under phase five of the Oil-for-Food
program, and of the portion they have used, 60 percent went for
medical equipment, which is used only in complicated procedures.
They spent $6 million on a gamma knife (an instrument used only for
complicated neurosurgery), and $4 million for MRIs, instead of
using this money for the benefit of the Iraqi children through
tools such as vaccines, antibiotics, and chemotherapeutic
instruments.
The leaders are enriching themselves. Forbes Magazine estimated
Hussein’s personal wealth at over $6 billion. Medicine
acquired from the Oil-for-Food programs have been sold to hospitals
at incredibly excessive prices by the regime. Government officials
are given extra monthly food rations, as well as Mercedes cars. The
average government worker’s monthly salary, by comparison is
$3.50.
Hussein’s excesses are also responsible for the suffering
of the Iraqi people. Since the Persian-Gulf War, Hussein has spent
over $2 billion on presidential palaces. In April 1999, Iraqi
officials opened Saddamiat al Tharthar ““ another monument to
Hussein. It is a lakeside vacation resort, including stadiums and
an amusement park. It cost hundreds of millions of dollars to
create.
In July 1999, the government of Iraq raised taxes on vehicles
and marriage dowries, even after earlier tax increases on fuel,
food and electricity. Hussein uses food rations and medical care to
buy the loyalty of those in his administration.
All of this has contributed to Iraq’s high child mortality
rate, the widespread malnourishment and the incredible damage the
Iraqi economy has sustained. Have the U.N. sanctions been
responsible for the majority of damage? Only because Hussein has
refused to change his ways, both in his politics and in his
policies.
The sanctions would stop if Hussein would abandon his intention
to conquer other countries. The sanctions would not damage the
civilian population if Hussein would stop using money to fund the
production of nuclear weapons and stop his policies of personal
extravagance.
The other misconception about the sanctions is that they are
partially unjustified, a concept which stems from an
underestimation of Hussein’s cruelty. His barbarism extends
even to his own people. In the 1950s, Hussein established
Iraq’s secret police and used it to eliminate opponents of
the Baath party.
After becoming president, he invaded Iran and began a war that
killed thousands. Then Hussein became determined to wipe out the
rebel Kurds by dropping chemical weapons on civilians
indiscriminately. In August of 1990, he invaded Kuwait. Hussein
seemed to regard the war with the United States and Israel as a
“destiny” he must fulfill. Although not regarded as a
religious man, he took a more active interest in Islam during the
war and called for a “holy war”against the Allied
forces.
Hussein has also murdered many of his military commanders to
avoid political threat. Arbitrary executions have been commonplace
in Iraqi prisons. He is draining the southern marshes of Iraq,
causing huge environmental damage, as well as forcibly relocating
civilians in an attempt to eliminate opposition to his regime. He
is murdering Shi’a clerics.
Human rights groups are attempting to establish an international
criminal court to try Hussein for war crimes and crimes against
humanity.
The United Nations has a clear choice. The sanctions are a valid
means of clamping down; they are not being implemented harshly
enough. The trade barriers are full of holes and other countries
provide a strong market for Iraqi oil. The U.N. must first send out
peace-keeping forces to guard the borders of Iraq.
Second, resolutions must be made by each country to cut all
trade with Iraq and fines must be levied by the U.N. for any
continued trade. Governments must be encouraged to police their own
borders and impound any trade meant for Iraq. All foreign assets
attributed to Saddam Hussein or any of his policy-makers must be
frozen.
Oil-for-Food programs must be cut. Hussein must deal with his
own people. If they die, their blood is on his hands. All available
pressure should be used to push Hussein out of the government.
Mass-murdering dictators cannot be met with half-hearted attempts
to deal with them. In the words of Hussein himself, “Let the
despicable be despised.”