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20 February 2005, 14:32 GMT
Counting Iraqi Civilian Deaths
14/12/2004 14:43:00
December 11, 2004
Observing the destruction of Iraq both in terms of human lives and of its infrastructure by two of the most powerful states, namely the United States and Great Britain, makes one question the real reason behind such rampage of an Arab and Islamic country.
It is simple to repeat the common deep running belief among Arabs and Muslims that what is going on in Iraq and in Palestine is nothing but a crusade against all Muslims and Arabs by two, may be more, leaders who simply hate Islam and who, on many grounds, can be morally, legally and humanely questionable.
But when you also see those non-Muslims, non-Arabs in many parts of the world are repeatedly rejecting these immoral and illegal practice by the said powers, the issue become more complex and not a mere Crusaders vis-à-vis Islam.
Last week forty-six eminent figures including military men, ex-diplomats and bishops have written to Tony Blair urging an inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq who have been estimated to be over 100,000, a genocide case and a war crime. These figures include Muslims and non-Muslims.
Unfortunately, Mr. Blair rejected the call for an independent inquiry into civilian deaths in Iraq, saying "terrorists and insurgents" were to blame. As if these so-called "terrorists" are the one who are illegally occupying someone else homeland. Similar statements can only be deeply but sadly laughable.
Naomi Klein wrote an article in The Guardian on 4 December 2004 titled "You asked for my evidence, Mr Ambassador. Here it is" in which the writer strongly criticized what the US is doing in Iraq and said that they do eliminate those who dare to count the dead. It revealed in well documented manner how US occupiers are eliminating the doctors, the journalists and the clerics.
Concluding the open letter that was directed to David T Johnson, Acting ambassador, US Embassy, London, Klein wrote: "Mr Ambassador, I believe that your government and its Iraqi surrogates are waging two wars in Iraq. One war is against the Iraqi people, and it has claimed an estimated 100,000 lives. The other is a war on witnesses."
No wonder Tony Blair rejects the demand to count civilian Iraqi deaths.
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