Iraqi People Need Us NOW

Count Your Blessings·
I am very disturbed when I encounter people who sincerely don't care about the sufferings of others. Their lack of concern is nearly horrific, and requires a wish to maintain status quo beyond any other concept, be it alien or heartland. Maybe this is a bit of what Lynn Cheney must face every day.
Ever think about a normal day in Iraq? In the land where women held positions of authority, even if it was in their own home, and enjoyed a social network amongst their peers which held a kind of power . But their world changed when BushCo. changed the focus from pretending to liberate to confiscating as much territory as they could, and bring in the heavy artiliary to back up months of usless ness. 70% of Iraqis lack access to clean water· 80% lack toilets that do not contaminate water sources· diarrhea and respiratory infections account for two-thirds of the deaths of children under five.· 21% of Iraqi children are chronically malnourished (2006 UNICEF national survey).· 70% of critically injured patients die in the hospital
Blessings can take many forms at different times of our lives. I believe many good convergences of ideas are about to occur, and look forward to learning more about this fantastic life.

Iraqi Women and Children Suffer Every Day

Imagine watching your child step over blood on the way to school. Wouldn't you be outraged? We must never forget the innocent victims of war and we must commit to protecting them, every day.
Iraqi children silent victims of ongoing violence,
says UN envoy
Voices of Iraq
Baghdad, Apr 25, 2008 (VOI)- Wrapping up a six-day visit to Iraq, the United Nations human rights envoy tasked with protecting the rights of children caught up in armed conflict said that the war-ravaged country's children are silent victims of the continued violence.
"Many of them are no longer go to school, many are recruited for violent activities or detained in custody, they lack access to the most basic services and manifest a wide range of psychological symptoms from the violence in their everyday lives," said Radhika Coomaraswamy, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, in a statement received by Aswat al-Iraq – Voices of Iraq (VOI).
She urged religious, political, military and community leaders to encourage children to stay out of the violence and return to their studies.
Gender-based violence is also reported to be on the rise, which Ms. Coomaraswamy said is "intolerable."
Only half of primary school children are attending school, down from 80 per cent in 2005, she noted. Only 40 per cent having access to clean drinking water, with the outbreak of cholera possible.
[my bold]
Since 2004, rising numbers of children have been recruited into militias and insurgent groups, some serving as suicide bombers, while some 1,500 are known to be in detention facilities.
Since humanitarian workers' access to children is impeded in many parts of Iraq, children are deprived of their assistance.
The special representative called on all parties to give free and independent access to aid workers, and urged the Iraqi Government, the United States Government and other countries to allow agencies, such as the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP), to be able to reach children in all parts of Iraq without hindrance.
Ms. Coomaraswamy also appealed to the international community to assist neighbouring countries to which Iraqis have fled to ensure that the children are protected and can access basic services, including education and health care.
She called on all sides in the Iraqi conflict to follow international humanitarian standards for the protection of children and to release without delay any children under the age of 18 associated with their forces, and also to adhere to international human rights standards pertaining to juvenile justice provisions.
"Let peace in Iraq begin with the protection of children" the special representative said. [my bold]
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=43405
Amen.

Shame on US

My heart feels broken in new places, even though I believed things were as bad as they could get. This report too clearly reveals the horror of what we have made out of Iraq and the unfortunate people who were born with oil under their feet.
Iraqis resort to selling children
By Afif Sarhan in Baghdad
Abu Muhammad, a Baghdad resident, found it difficult to let go of his daughter's hand but he had already convinced himself that selling her to a family outside Iraq would provide her with a better future.
"The war disgraced my family. I lost relatives including my wife among thousands of victims of sectarian violence and was forced to sell my daughter to give my other children something to eat," he told Al Jazeera.
[...] Omar Khalif, vice-president of the Iraqi Families Association (IFA), an NGO established in 2004 to register cases of those missing and trafficked, said that at least two children are sold by their parents every week.
Another four are reported missing every week.
[...] He said there are fears children are being trafficked for the sex trade and the organ transplant black market.
Please read for yourself:
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/F22B4D85-59F6-4778-8E9F-C15E7F1CDB40.htm
This report was forwarded by LUV, Liberty Underground of Virginia. Go there, join, read, learn.

The Iraqi Refugee Crisis

This is a five minute job which will bring you great joy because you will help someone. Please sign the petition and let all your friends and coworkers know about this crisis.

Urge Support for the 'Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act'

The "Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act" will lay the groundwork to help the United States develop a comprehensive solution to this crisis. It allows persecuted Iraqis who have close ties to the United States- either through work or through family- to apply directly to our refugee program.

Send a letter to your senators
http://www.humanrightsfirst.org/asylum/lifeline/index.asp