Feb. 16, 2001

-Today's bombing, while unusual in its choice of targets, is not new. The U.S. has been illegally bombing Iraq on the average of 2-3 times a week for over two years.

-Today's bombing was not by coalition forces. It was done by the U.S. with some U.K. participation. The United Nations does not recognize the no-fly-zones, and under international law, these self-declared zones are illegal.

- Over 300 civilians have been killed by routine U.S. bombings over the last two years, including at least 3 in today's bombing.

- Rather than undermine Saddam Hussein, this bombing will likely inflame the Iraqi and Arab peoples against the U.S., and strengthen Saddam's political rehabilitation in the region by pitting him as David against the American Goliath.

- The U.S. war against Iraq isn't limited to bombings, our on-going blockade, the sanctions, have resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, perhaps well over 1,000,000 people in all most of them children. According to UNICEF, over 500,000 children under the age of 5 have died due to our blockade.

- Former Chief Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter, and former weapons inspector Dr. Raymond Zilinskas, have both stated that Iraq was qualitatively disarmed of any WMD capability by 1998 and does not pose a WMD-based threat to the region today.

- Secretary Powell stated on Face the Nation on Sunday, Feb. 11th, [Saddam's] much weaker. That million-man army of 10 years ago is gone. He is sitting on a very much smaller army of perhaps 350,000 that does not have the capacity to invade its neighbors any longer. I'm sure he can hold on to his power. What he can't do is invade his neighbors anymore.

Education for Peace in Iraq Center (EPIC)
1101 Pennsylvania Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20003
Tel. 202-543-6176
Fax 202-543-0725