UPDATED - ColdType

worked for Iraq now says WMD evidence was
destroyed just days before the war began.
“Sure, unambiguous proof of the hidden stockpiles
may turn up any day now. But the threat of
Iraq’s WMD may also turn out to be the
biggest media hoax since Y2K.”
Not Comical Ali
WE still have had no attempt at accounting for
the number of civilian casualties in Iraq. But, as
if to salve our conscience, media attention has
predictably enough been focused on one child, a
poster boy for children in need. His name is Ali
Ismail Abbas. He is 12. He lost his father, his
mother (who was pregnant at the time) and his
brother to “coalition bombing.” He lost part of
his body, too. Poor Ali has aroused the conscience
of the west. You have probably seen him
on TV. Mary Riddel wrote about him in the
Observer:
“Today, he is recovering in Kuwait, where his
publicity shots show a sweet face above the blankets
masking his scorched torso and stumps. He
has eaten a kebab and obliged visiting journalists
from British newspapers with quotes. ‘When
will my arms grow back?’ he asked.
“Ali, the iconic image of war, is the centerpiece
of half-a-dozen charity appeals, which have
raised several hundred thousand pounds, as
against the $20 billion cost of the conflict, or the
$1.3bn needed by the World Food Program. Of
that, only $296 million has been offered. Though
comparatively small, the Ali appeals prove that
the dry plea of bureaucrats cannot compete as a
can-rattler for humanity.
“The formula is not difficult to read. Hope, the
magical ingredient of childhood, sells. Despair
SO, THIS IS VICTORY
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does not. No one can predict whether Ali will
ultimately be glad of the officious mercy
accorded him, but few would argue it was wrong
for him to have his chance. Nor is it reprehensible
to make him the face of good causes. His
exploitation lies, instead, in the propaganda
implicit in his story . . . Ali is the human emblem
of the case for war, not for the arguments
against. A wonder of modern surgery, masterminded
by the U.S. and Britain and performed in
the Middle East, is an exact metaphor for the
outcome the coalition wants for Iraq. Nor is Ali a
sting to Western consciences. Instead, he is their
balm. Despite the correct insistence of Unicef
that he should be the figurehead for all Iraqi children,
the spotlight on a single child distracts
from the countless number who die this Easter
because the miracle workers of the West cannot
switch on their electricity or offer clean water or
bring oxygen and aid into flyblown wards where
the mattresses stiffen with other people’s blood.”
Ignored warnings
REMEMBER Peter Arnett? Recall that he was
working in part for National Geographic. I always
wondered about what their interest was in Iraq.
As it turns out they were fully aware of the country’s
cultural treasures and warned of looting
WELL BEFORE IT OCCURRED.
Here is a report just sent to me. It is dated
March 21 – It was given scant coverage at the
time: “Iraq War Threatens Ancient Treasures.
Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News
(Updated March 21, 2003).
“The looming war in Iraq is likely to take a
heavy toll in terms of lives and property. But in a
country regarded as the ‘Cradle of Civilization,’