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e Battalion O PINION Page 13 • Wednesday, October 27, 1999 SHOULD SANCTIONS BE SANCTIONED? lussein solely responsible for Iraq sanctions MARK PASSWATERS day at G. Rollie Whitete juaresi natch well in even’ aspectofou the best of our ability,we initely beat them.'' The Aggie seniors are ly finding their roles as Senior middle blcda Woolsey leads the tear second in the Big lbs bitting percentage. [t his been nine years since Sad- |dam Hussein’s Iraq invaded its [neighbor Kuwait. Many of the i sanctions levied against Iraq (the wake of the 1990 invasion }still in effect. Millions of Iraqi tn, women and children are now png of disease and starvation, Isome in the United States are f saying these sanctions must I lifted. Somewhere in Baghdad, Hussein must be smiling he foolishness of the American public. He knows at most of us do not: He alone is to be blamed for deaths of his people. The man known as “The Butcher of Baghdad” was [the business of killing his fellow countrymen long fore Operation Desert Storm and its aftermath. Hus- nhas killed hundreds of thousands of Iraqis in an [empt to cement his hold on power. They die today the same reasons, only now the Iraqi dictator has onvenient scapegoat. There is a pervasive belief among those who wish see sanctions lifted that the money not entering q would be spent for food and medicine for its pop- tion. This is an outright lie. Money does indeed en- Iraq; it simply is not distributed among the popu- lon. It goes directly into the coffers of Hussein and Ba’ath Party. In the meantime, Hussein’s propa nda wing cries out to the world about how the bar- ric United States and United Kingdom are causing iqi children to die. While there is supposed to be a ban on the sale of iqi crude oil, the CIA has said more than 100,000 rrels of Iraqi crude is smuggled out daily through tia, Jordan, and TUrkey. The money from this oil, it officially sold, is never seen by the public. In- ad, it goes to Hussein. The proof, as they say, is in the pudding. In this se, the pudding can be found in the more than 70 w palaces Hussein had built for himself since the of the war. These are not renovations to existing laces. These are brand-new ones, with deep owes currently Wsi in digs per game withl.ii per game with .35. “This is our lastcl» Texas at home, foriw senior middle Leahy said. “And the we’re Aggies makes th mge match.” (lie team in kills perjit Inkers designed to prevent American bombs from blocks per game, at4,Oh aching him. respectively. U a ] so can ^ seen j n q ie treatment of the elite Re- blican Guard and members of the Ba’ath Party, lese people, whose support Hussein requires to re in power, actually have increased their standard of ing since the end of the war. The Iraqi government has given seven pay raises members of the Republican Guard and subsidized rang for them. Ba’ath Party members receive simi- treatment, as well as free automobiles. In ex- inge for their continued support of Saddam, these ople live in the lap of luxury. There is no starvation malnutrition for them. Members of the Shiite Moslem and Kurdish com- had someont munities, whose support Hussein does not require, are the ones who have been left to fend for them selves. When the U.N. does authorize the sale of Iraqi oil for food and medicine, little reaches this segment of the population. Since the money is regulated by the Iraqi government, those in power can do as they please. Instead of buying clothing or medicine for the people of Iraq, Saddam has instead spent his money on his weapons of mass destruction program. When the Russian, French, and Chinese members of the U.N. Security Council condemn the U.S. and U.K. as “barbaric” for continuing sanctions, the world should laugh. Their desire to see sanc tions lifted are not humanitarian but self serving. With the proceeds from their “food-for-oil” program, Iraq has made down pay ments on weapons sys tems from all three of these nations, to be de livered as soon as sanctions are lifted. Why would the U.N. consider lift ing sanctions when Iraq is not in compli ance with the sanc tions? Iraq has yet to account for more than 80,000 Kuwaiti men who have been missing since 1991, nor have they termi nated their weapons of mass destruction program. Until these are done, the lifting of sanctions should not be considered. It is a terrible tragedy many Iraqis suffer because of the actions of Hussein, but it is not the fault of the United States. The solution is not the lifting of sanc tions, but stronger enforcement of them. As long as those around Hussein are able to live comfortably, there is no chance he will be removed from power. If they are made to feel the pinch of sanc tions the rest of the nation has, then perhaps all of Iraq will be of one mind — that Hussein must go. If sanctions against Iraq were to be lifted, those oppos ing them would rejoice Iraqis might not die. These same people could then watch as hundreds of thousands of Israelis, Saudis, Kuwaitis, Iranians and probably Americans would suffer under a Hus sein freed from the shackles of sanctions. Which is better? The answer is clear. Nobody ever said it would be simple or painless. U.S. policy harms innocent Iraqi civilians Mark Passwaters is an electrical engineering graduate student. A photo essay by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer shows the body of the tiny 2-year-old girl in a little red dress, lying in the cor ner of a cold, lonely hospital room. She is a beautiful child and appears gentle and peaceful. Her cheeks still maintain a rosy hue, although the rest of her body has become tinted cold blue. Sadly, she is dead. And the fact that she was alive only two minutes ago, full of hopes and dreams, is haunting. It is painful to think she could have been anyone’s sister, daughter or niece. It is even more painful to realize that for 50 cents, the cost for helpful medication, she could still be living. But this is Iraq, where after nine years of the most compre hensive, strictly-enforced eco nomic blockade of a country in history, com mon people are struggling to survive. According to the United Nations Chil dren’s Fund (UNICEF), 500,000 Iraqi children have died from lack of food, medicine and clean water. The United States, the sole world power still sup porting the devastating sanc tions, claims they must stay in place until all of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction have been accounted for and destroyed. The United States asserts that harsh economic condi tions will motivate ordinary Iraqis to overthrow Saddam Hussein. However, this logic is flawed. The desire to destroy a rogue dictator’s arms arsenal cannot possibly justify the impoverishment of a people and the killing of half a million innocent children. The U.S.-backed economic sanctions on Iraq must come to an end. They are immoral and ineffective. They should be delinked from weapons inspections so that common people do not have to suffer for the ac tions of an intransigent government. Since economic sanctions were put in place, all they have done is cause misery and death of helpless people, instilled in them a deep hatred for the United States, further solidified Hussein’s grasp of power and alienated America from the Arab and Islamic world. How can the Iraqi people overthrow Hussein when they are sick and hungry? A man who can barely get enough to eat and has to work two to three jobs to sur vive does not have the time nor the energy to chal lenge the world’s most brutal and elusive dictator. When the sanctions are stopped and Iraqis can return to living normal, productive lives, they will be in a much better position to affect change. If the sanctions are doing anything, they are only giving Hussein what he really wants—a weak and exhausted population that he can easily manipulate. Critics claim that the Iraqi government is hoarding the U.N. relief in order to create a humanitarian disas ter that will get Iraq world sympathy. This is possible, and even probable. But what does it matter? Hussein has been holding his people hostage since he came to power. He has maintained a “state of fear,” where no one can publicly speak out against his tyranny. It is sense less for the United States to further contribute to the Iraqis’ woes by adding economic hardships to political restrictions. Hussein will likely manipulate U.N. relief aid as long as sanctions are in place. The only way to stop him from having this monopoly is by terminating the sanctions and allowing Iraqis to control their own livelihoods in free trade. The majority of American people, if properly informed, would never condone the suffering sanctions have caused. As evinced by a Sept. 6 Houston Chronicle special on Iraq, sanctions have devastated the lives of civilians but leave the government elite untouched. They have impoverished formally middle-class and professional Iraqis. Families have had to sell their belongings. Chil dren beg in the streets. Millions have fled to neighbor ing countries seeking economic refuge. Of course, the worst are the children who are need lessly dying. UNICEF reports that many die from drinking dirty water. During the war, allied bombing destroyed sewage and water-purification systems. Now with sanctions and the greed of Hussein, there is no money to repair them. A famine is looming, and UNICEF has declared the situation a “humanitarian emergency. ” Credible individuals have called for an end to the sanctions. Dennis Halliday, who was the U.N. Relief Coordinator for Iraq and is arguably the world’s expert on the subject, resigned in 1998 in protest of the sanc tions, calling them simplistic and unsuccessful. “There can be no justification in my view for the death and malnutrition for which sanctions are re sponsible,” he said, in a 1998 speech at Harvard Uni versity. The pope also condemned the sanctions, and according to The New York Times, he may even make a visit to Iraq. When a terrorist hijacks a plane and takes its inno cent passengers hostage, the answer is not to shoot down the plane and kill all on board. Yet this is what U.S.-backed sanctions are doing to Iraq. It is time to stop such senselessness and save the Iraqi people. Caesar Ricci is a junior plant and soil science major. ROBERT HYNECEK/The Battalion EDITORIAL ROUNDUP from U-Wire editorial reports dentors Listl ators check out the websi# 1 i or call 845-6! ampaign finance bill lould not have failed the Michigan Daily at the University fJlichigan. (U-WIRE) ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Last ek, in what has become a yearly ritual ashington, D.C., the U.S. Senate |ain defeated a bipartisan campaign fi- nce reform bill drafted by Sen. John Cain of Arizona and Sen. Russ Fein- of Wisconsin. The bill was not defeated by lack of ma lty support. This year, as in past years, the McCain- ingold legislation drew the support of a Jjority of senators but was again defeat- by a filibuster led by Sen. Mitch Mc- mnell of Kentucky. ... pwppY a flAVl The continued blocking of campaign fi- 4 Uhl ince reform by the Senate is an affront the democratic ideals of this nation is a clear example of how many law- akers have become obsessed with rais- gmoney. ... The usual argument used against cam- i out more about car«<f'S n finance reform is that it restricts " edom of speech. But it is difficult to see how corpora- , please see us oncanft ns and s P ecial interest groups giving '^“ndreds of thousands of dollars to politi- Iparties can be construed as speech. It a blatant form of bribery. Companies do not give money to politi- ansto exercise free speech. They con- bute because it buys them influence :30 p. mu - 6:45 p- 1 * 'd access to those who make laws af- them. ... Campaign finance reform is not about Edging free speech. It is about allowing levast majority of Americans who do not lake exorbitant campaign donations to re a voice in their government. ... Our legislators today are spending more ad more time raising money and less and sstime legislating. Their primary con- erns are no longer with their con tinents, but their contributors. ... While large amounts of polling data bow that a clear majority of Americans fa- orcampaign finance reform, few hold it satop priority. To end the giving of these vast sums of loney, and thus special interest control 'four government, people need to con- act lawmakers. AJNCHANE! N YOU STAB ktober 27,1999 oorn 504 Rudder 'ww.clorox.com AND MORE. Donald Trump may be best hope for Reform From The Daily Athenaeum at West Vir ginia University. (U-WIRE) MORGANTOWN, W.V. — Forget Gore vs. Bradley. Bush vs. McCain? No way. The real fun begins and ends in the Reform Party, where former Republican Donald Trump declared his intention to file papers on Monday that would make him an official member of the Reform Party. Ah, the first signs of another interesting race. Trump vs. Buchanan. The prominent businessman vs. the career political fig ure. The public debates will be interesting, to say the least. These two running for the same nomination would be bigger news if they weren’t running for the Reform Party nomination. Unfortunately, this race, if and when Trump does decide to run, will be missed by many Americans who just don’t care enough about a rogue third party to pay attention. ... Buchanan has yet to respond to Trump’s moves, but you can bet that Pat is n’t going to sit idly by and allow the Donald to sit around and talk smack about him on national television. Buchanan might not have to, though. A recent poll done by CNN showed that among the number of Americans most like ly to vote in the Reform Party primary, Buchanan would win, 52 percent to 33 percent sampling errors notwithstanding. That’s not a good sign for Trump, who, with a loss in this election, would go down as the only candidate to lose an election to a guy who would prefer that all his fol lowers carry pitchforks. However, Trump has a good shot of winning over those vot ers if he does decide to run. He’s running as an ultra-moderate, a true centrist. He speaks as a moderate politician who would offer tax cuts to the middle class, ban “soft money” from campaigns and negotiate tougher trade deals. ... Strangely enough, if Trump wins, he will give the Reform Party a lot more credibility than Buchanan ever would, considering his track record for success and the fact that he makes no effort to court the so-called “lu natic fringe” that Buchanan does. If Reform Party voters want a chance to advance their reputation, they’d do well to vote for Trump. Meningitis prevention imperative A deadly disease is on the rise in the United States, but little is be ing done to stop it. Unfortunately, when people are infected, the disease is ex tremely hard to stop. Once symptoms ap pear, death can sometimes come in as few as 24 hours or leave survivors with brain damage and multiple amputa tions. These grisly possibilities should be all the more frightening to college students since this virulent killer has universities in its cross-hairs. The disease is meningococcal meningitis, and Texas A&M must join with other colleges throughout the country to prevent its outbreaks by rais ing awareness of the infection and available vaccinations. Meningitis leads to swelling around the brain and spinal cord that can cause permanent disabilities^ invading the central nervous system and crip pling the brain’s immunological defens es. Sometimes, early signs of infection — including headache, fever and nau sea —- are not much different from flu symptoms, and bacterial meningitis is occasionally diagnosed incorrectly as a common virus. Unfortunately, it does not take long for doctors to realize they have made a mistake. As bacterial meningitis begins to spread purplish-black rashes caused by nerve death and blood poisoning of ten appear at the victim’s extremities. To prevent the spread o*! the ensuing gan grene, patients are often forced to endure several amputations. Within 48 hours an infected person may be dead, missing several limbs or be severely brain damaged. Unless the in fection is fought early with intensive an tibiotics, few victims survive unscathed by the disease. Meningitis is extremely contagious. The infection spreads easily through kissing, sneezing and coughing or the sharing of eating utensils. Once a person has contracted the ill ness, antibiotics should be adminis tered to everyone the patient had been in contact with in the previous 72 hours. Consequently, it quickly be comes logistically difficult to stop the bacteria from spreading. Bacterial strains of meningitis are still rare, but there has been a moder ate increase in outbreaks since the early 1990s. Studies are also begin ning to show that this general rise is inordinately affecting college-age stu dents. Researchers have suggested that college students’ statistical sus ceptibility to infection is caused in part by on-campus living. It is not hard to see how residence halls — where large numbers of peo ple live in close proximity to one an other — can be breeding grounds for bacterial disease. Steps must be taken to stop a growing killer among college students. According to The New York Times, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released a report in May that college freshmen living in residence halls were six times more likely to be infected by bacterial meningitis than off-campus students. Living patterns also make col lege students more vulnerable to the disease. Heavy smoking, drinking and sleep deprivation — chronic problems for many college students — all lower the immune system’s ability to stop bacterial infections. Fortunately, although meningitis bacteria are dangerous, they are not in vincible. If meningitis patients are diag nosed quickly enough, they can usually be cured with large doses of antibiotics, and a preventive vaccination has been developed for the disease. Because horrible outbreaks can be prevented and controlled, A&M must focus on two pre-emptive policies to lessen the likelihood of a meningitis problem in College Station. First, awareness is the key to stop ping meningitis cases from becoming fatal. The University must make con certed efforts to educate students about the importance of healthy lifestyles and adequate amounts of sleep — especial ly in the context of meningitis risks. Students should also be instructed on how to identify dangerous symptoms. The A.P. Beutel Student Health Cen ter at A&M provides information about meningitis in the form of printed mater ial and the general information phone line. But these educational resources re quire students — many of whom have likely never heard of the disease — to be inquisitive enough to seek informa tion out. Initiatives should begin now to make meningitis awareness more proac tive, involving residence hall councils and student leaders to educate students about risks and preventive advice. Secondly, the University should start a campaign to inform parents about the benefits of receiving meningitis immu nization. Menommune, a vaccine which is effective against four known strains of bacterial meningitis, is rec ommended to incoming freshmen, but not required for admission. A&M should at least make an organized in quiry about the possible benefit of re quiring the meningitis vaccination. And in the meantime, University health officials should more strongly recommend the drug. Right now, menommune appears inconspicuously on a letter to parents. More must be done. Along with rec ommending the drug, the University should give parents sufficient informa tion about the disease and strive to make the drug even more affordable than it already is. The immunization currently costs $57 at Beutel, but it should be made as inexpensive as those on the required list, which range in price from $7 to $40. Some universi ties have even had the foresight to make menommune available for free. . Students should not be unnecessari ly frightened by meningitis; it is pre ventable. But University officials should not be lulled into complacency. Preven tion requires action, and if A&M waits until after an outbreak to emphasize the dangers of meningitis, it will be too late. The time to strike a blow against meningococcal infections is now — be fore they have a chance to strike first. Caleb McDaniel is a junior history major.