COMMUNITY VIEWS

IRAQI TRAGEDY

Stop In arid see the
All New 2000 Deville

THE POWER OF &

;-!, 1 LCHNOI 0( -,Y

)1 f

1111 f

7100 Orchard Lake Road (at 14 1/2 Mile) ■ West Bloomfield

248.851.7200

Mon. & Thurs.
till 9 pm

IR-

Tues., Wed., Fri.,
till 6 pm

ASTER

HEATING
& AIR CONDITIONING CO.
RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL• SERVICE • SALES • INSTALLATIONS

YOUR INDEPENDENT DEALER FOR

LENNOX &

Michael Levey

BERKLEY

399-1800

W. BLOOMFIELD

788-9073

TRIIIIE"

It Hand 7b Stop A 'Thane-

GROSSE POINTE

N. OAKLAND

882-4870

682-9090

*STAIRWAY LIFTS* * * * *

THE CAREFREE WAY TO
CLIMB STAIRS

I love my
Stairway Lift!

When you're disabled, or just not able to move around
as freely as you once could, stairs can be a real prob-
lem. But there is a simple answer. The powered stairway
lift. Easily installed to fit curved or straight stairs. They
give you back the ability to move around your own
home. Folds back-gets in nobody's way.
CALL OR STOP BY FOR A FREE DEMONSTRATION

It takes me up
and down the
stairs with the
push of a but-
ton. Call for
details!

ACTON RENTAL & SALES

LARRY ARONOFF

(313) 891-6500 (248) 540-5550

AMiNIMMNIMINIL

• Bloom and Bloom •

REGISTERED ELECTROLOGISTS

Come and let us remove your unwanted
hair problem and improve your appearance.

Near 12 Mile Rd. between Evergreen & Southfield

4/7

2000

44

Ask for Debby at

248 • 559 *1969

(Appointment Only)

)$.

from page 42

but, American government
assertions to the contrary
notwithstanding, the answer is
"no". Officials for the U.N. in
Baghdad told us that, some
moderate amount of smuggling
aside, not one penny from the
sale of Iraqi oil goes into Iraq.
Following a complicated 11-
step obstacle course designed by
a special U.N. Security Council
committee, the goods Iraq is
permitted to buy are eventually
delivered; but not money,
except in parts of the north (but These are a few of the containers of medicine
that's a different story). Any new and medical journals brought to Iraq by the
palaces — and apparently there
Detroit delegation in December. Such materials
are some — are built with Iraqi
are illegally imported if the proper authorities
materials and labor. National
have not granted a license.
unemployment rates are on the
order of 70 percent.
every month could not solve the exist-
Two consecutive U.N. career officers,
ing need for medicines, medical
both honorable and principled men,
equipment, re-built water and electri-
have now resigned in protest over the
cal systems, schoolbooks and supplies.
unimaginable damage being done to the
As we saw, the terrifying aerial bom-
civilian population as a result of the
bardments have destroyed hospitals
inadequate U.N. program. Both Denis
and schools as well as Iraqi military
Halliday and Hans von Sponeck have
installations.
declared publicly that the food and
The Geneva Convention disallows
medicine entering Iraq are insufficient,
the withholding of food from a civil-
but what's arrived has been distributed
ian population. Nothing, in my view,
with as much fairness and efficiency as
could be more patently immoral than
the destroyed infrastructure of Iraq per-
the attempt to get at a hated national
mits. A competent U.N. staff of hun-
leader by, metaphorically, shooting at
dreds closely monitors the delivery of
him through the bodies of masses of
incoming goods.
innocents.
Nobody with whom I traveled wishes
Yes, I know. In America, we hear a
to see Iraq — or any other country for
different story, but a false one in my
that matter — build, deploy or use
view. Consider: Not one member of
weapons of mass destruction. But I am
Congress has been to Iraq since the
persuaded, as are countless others by
Gulf War, to see the truth with his or
now, that the present U.S./U.N. eco-
her own eyes, Yes, Saddam Hussein is
nomic sanctions are absolutely a weapon
a willing participant in the tragedy of
of mass destruction.
his own people, but so are we. His
Furthermore, I believe the sanctions actions do not justify ours.
are counterproductive. Iraqi leaders
The defining events of my young
certainly are not suffering. If anything,
life were World War II and the Holo-
Hussein's grip on power is now greater
caust. "Never again!" we said, and
than ever as he presides over an enfee-
rightly so. I believe that "never again"
bled populace. The civilian population
must apply not only to us Jews, but
has no way to rise up under the pre-
also to any national, ethnic, religious
sent conditions. Finally, hatred of
or other identifiable group of people
America grows rapidly as the conse-
anywhere on earth who need protec-
quences of the sanctions are vividly
tion and support.
reported in other nations, in ways not
As Jews, I believe that we must
seen or heard here.
open our eyes to the Iraqi tragedy. We
I am confident that the U.S. and
should raise a very skeptical eyebrow
the United Kingdom knew in advance
to the reports of our own government
that the revised U.N. plan brought
on this subject as we have learned to
forth in December would be unac-
do in other matters. Then we must act
ceptable to Iraq for a variety of rea-
out of conscience.
sons, which can be discussed else-
Do these views make me anti-
where. Tinkering around the edges of
American? Anti-Israel? Anti-Jewish?
the current arrangement will accom-
Indeed not. Only pro-human.
plish virtually nothing.
Tikkun olam — let us heal where
A hundred groups, such as ours,
healinc, is needed. ❑

