The UN has accused the US of using starvation as a weapon in Iraq. According to Jean Ziegler, UN special rapporteur on the right to food, US forces cut off food and water to insurgant-held towns in an effort to force civilians to leave the area. While militarily effective, this violates the Geneva Conventions, and commanders ordering such tactics could be held responsible for war crimes under international law.
The US has denied the charges, but it is worth noting that they have used such tactics before. During the Vietnam war, the US ran a "food denial program" targeting crops, with the specific aim of depriving hostile civilian populations of food and thus forcing them to relocate to US-controlled areas. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
All for a good cause of course.
ReplyDeleteOh my God! Cutting off the enemy's food supply! That's never been tried in a war before. Those bastards!
ReplyDeleteSurely if a town is being run by insurgents, it's hardly the responsibility of Americans to provide basic services? But that would mean it's not America's fault people are starving, and we can't have that!
I kinda feel sorry for Saddam too ya you know, cos he was just trying to kill off some insurgents and, you know, a bunch of silly innocents got in the way. And now he's getting done for it. How's that for unfair? I mean, where's the respect for our leaders, for those in power. They're the good guys right, we should always look out for them and make sure they never come to harm or get held to account for the hard decisions they have to make.
ReplyDeleteThere you go again, so many words and nothing to say.
ReplyDeleteChristiaan, pls run for govt. I want to vote for you.. :-)
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