Doctors: Saddam used dying kids as propaganda

Chicago Tribune via Seattle Times ^ | June 10, 2003 | Vincent J. Schodolski

[sarcasm]

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Throughout the years of U.N. economic sanctions against Iraq, Saddam Hussein's government was quick to bring foreign reporters and peace delegations to see the dying patients at Saddam Children's Hospital. Most of the youngsters had leukemia, said the hospital's chief, and all the leukemia patients died.

The government blamed the sanctions after the 1991 Persian Gulf War, using the hospital and its patients as an example of how the West — in particular the United States — allowed children to die.

But now, after the U.S.-led war in Iraq that ousted Saddam, hospital staff members said the regime withheld vital medicines for propaganda purposes.

[hellinahandcart]

Voices in the Wilderness, a group organized to end Iraq sanctions, grew weary of surrendering prescription drugs to Saddam's administrators, Kelly said. "It was true that once you turned your medicines over to the Ministry of Health, we heard rumors that they weren't being distributed."

Oh, but God forbid we should have mentioned this BEFORE the war. It would have interfered with our goal of worldwide socialism ending those nasty child-killing sanctions.

Vipers in the Wilderness worked hand in hand with Saddam, through ANSWER and those ridiculous anti-war rallies. I don't forget or forgive.

[RFH]

Bump! I was outraged (but not suprised) to read this in my OC Register this morning. I remember so many liberals saying 'the sanctions killed more children than Saddam ever did'. Now we hear the truth. It was all a propaganda display. I'm still waiting for them to admit they were wrong...

[secretagent]

But now, after the U.S.-led war in Iraq that ousted Saddam, hospital staff members said the regime withheld vital medicines for propaganda purposes.

That decision, they said, led to thousands of deaths.

"You asked why a government would not give medicine to children," said Dr. Oasem Al Taey, who has run the hospital, now called Central Children's Hospital, since U.S. forces entered Baghdad on April 9. "They were willing to sacrifice the children for the sake of propaganda."

Bryan Suits of KVI of Seattle has accused Congressman Jim McDermott of Seattle of complicity in the deaths of these children, since Mr McDermott used the Children's Hospital as a stage from which to denounce Bush's invasion plans.