Songs of the doomed are weirding their way across foggy hollow today...The
leading aid organisation in the United States has accused the Pentagon of
undue secrecy and obstruction in its planning to provide humanitarian aid
to Iraq in event of war.
Sandra Mitchell, the head of the International Rescue Committee, told US
senators that the United Nations and private aid agencies were "struggling"
to put together plans for relief efforts if large number of Iraqis try to flee.
"US planning has so embedded humanitarian tasks and activities with the
military war plan that vital information remains classified," Ms Mitchell
told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. She pointed out that over two
weeks ago, the UN's top humanitarian official had said food stocks and
supplies being sent to the region by the US Government were not enough to
meet the needs of Iraq.
If the US attacks, the UN's oil-for-food program, run with the Iraqi
Government, is expected to collapse. Nearly 60 per cent of Iraqis are
dependent on it. The US military hopes to take over the program quickly.
Secrecy over its humanitarian plans was underscored when the man who has
been nominated to run the program declined to appear at the Senate
hearings. General Jay Garner told the senators he was "unavailable".
MORE ON...
http://smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/12/1047431099477.html
Watergate,Shmortergate,Iran-contra? a teapot dome...this is the mother of
all governmental fuck ups.
