[Enchante]

It becomes obvious that this "Iraq Forum Online" is not some impartial and objective group but rather a far-left activist group, co-sponsored by "Voices in the Wilderness" and other far-left groups which worked hard to try to end sanctions long before the 2003 Iraq War. Thus, Joe Wilson was pals with the far-left 'movement' to undermine US policy and end sanctions (thus ending all economic containment of Saddam's WMD efforts) before he ever emerged as the public face of the "Niger uranium" issue.

A review of both the 2002 and 2003 programs of this group shows that it considers itself the 'movement' (activist, not academic) to first end sanctions and now end the US 'occupation'..... thus undermining Wilson's pretence that he was coming forth against the Bush administration as some dispassionate objective professional.... the previous year's (2002) event characterized the group as part of the "anti-sanctions movement" and it is led by a leader and co-founder of "Voices in the Wilderness"--

http://vitw.org/who_we_are/

And let's not forget that the previous (2002) "Iraq Forum Online" featured none other than the infamous Scott Ritter who was far into moonbat-land by that time.... and look at the list of far-left sponsoring groups -- and the fact that the 2003 "Evening Public Lecture: A State of the Movement Address"

Evening Public Lecture: A State of the Movement Address PEACE in IRAQ: VISION and CRITIQUE of the US ANTI-SANCTIONS MOVEMENT
Kathy Kelly, Co-Founder, Voices in the Wilderness Hear Kathy Kelly now. (23:06 min)

Ilham Heather Al-Sarraf, Ph.D., Iraq Civil Action Network Hear Ilham Al-Sarraf now. (21:00 min)
Scott Ritter, Retired Marine Captain, former UNSCOM Chief Weapons Inspector

Hear Scott Ritter now. (21:55 min)

Listen to the discussion. (25:56 min)
Listen to the Closing Remarks. (7:12 min)

Co-sponsoring Organizations: Arab American Institute, American Friends Service Committee, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Focus on American and Arab Interests and Relations (FAAIR), Friends Committee for National Legislation, American-Arab Anti-Descrimination Committee, American Muslims for Global Peace and Justice, Church of the Brethren Washington Office, Mennonite Central Committee USA-Washington Office, Muslim American Society, NETWORK, Pax Christi, Peace Action, Veterans for Peace, Voices in the Wilderness, and Women's Action for New Directions. For a chronological view of the 2002 Iraq Forum, with additional talks and speakers including Scott Ritter, Louis Fisher and Kathy Kelly, see the Iraq Forum Schedule.

[Cautor]

"Arab American Institute"

Joey Wilson was intimate with this pro-Saudi cabal.

[Sam Hill]

That list of "co-sponsors" is a who's who of ant-sanctions, anti-US organizations.

Isn't it odd that all of these pages and the site itself are no longer online--and only available via Google's cached pages?

Sort of like "Restore Honesty.com", isn't it? You have to wonder what they're hiding all of a sudden.

Maybe it's Wilson's participation? Or maybe it is even bigger than that.

[Sam Hill]

I take it back. They still have an active site. (Just those pages seem disappeared--at least for me.)

Education for Peace in Iraq Center > Home ( DNN 2.0.3 )
http://www.epic-usa.org/

[Sam Hill]

The Death of One Iraqi Child is One Too Many
by Erik Gustafson

November 1998
Volume 35 Number 9

The UN blockade on Iraq and a failed “oil for food” program have created every parent’s worst nightmare.

A former UN Assistant Secretary General with 34 years of distinguished service, Denis Halliday’s resignation and scathing indictment of sanctions offered the national media the perfect opportunity to bring the plight of Iraq’s civilian population to light. But this news was deemed not “fit to print” in the New York Times and other major dailies. Weeks earlier, Scott Ritter of the UN’s Special Commission had testified before Congress. Ignoring the humanitarian crisis completely, Ritter objected to the disarmament process being undermined by divisions within the UN Security Council and the U.S. backing down from intrusive inspections. A weapons inspector with five years of service to the UN, he was front-page news and continues to be covered.

Halliday evoked outrage for a tragedy the U.S. could end, while Ritter exploited long-cultivated fears. For eight years, the fear of weapons of mass destruction has eclipsed the reality of sanctions—themselves weapons of mass destruction—in a calculated effort to legitimize a morally bankrupt UN policy. The human face of Iraq is lost in the equation. “We have heard that half a million children have died...that’s more children than died in Hiroshima.” 60 Minutes reporter Leslie Stahl asked in May 1996, “Is the price worth it?” Madelaine Albright answered “Yes, we think the price is worth it.”

“The death of one Iraqi child attributable to economic sanctions is one death too many,” Mr. Halliday testified. I think of Akram and his mother’s anguish and hope that more Americans will feel the same.

Erik Gustafson is a member of Voices in the Wilderness and founder of the Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC). To support EPIC, write 747 10th St. SE #2, WDC 20003, call (202) 543-6176, or email epicenter@igc.org.

http://www.washingtonpeacecenter.org/articles/Iraqichild.html